The clinical characteristic and outcome of skin and soft tissue infection in immunosuppressive patients with nephrotic syndrome.

Objective: Skin and soft tissue infection (SSTI) is the most common of infectious diseases with high morbidity and mortality. However, the clinical characteristics of SSTI in patients with nephrotic syndrome (NS), especially in those patients who received immunosuppressive therapy, are still lacking. The present study was conducted to investigate the clinical characteristics and outcomes of SSTI in patients with NS.
Methods: A retrospective study was carried out among the patients diagnosed with NS and SSTI, who have priorly received or currently have been receiving immunosuppressive therapy between April 2011 and January 2019; the clinical profile included patient's baseline characteristics, clinical presentation, microbiological findings, treatment, and prognosis.
Results: A total of 70 patients were analyzed. Results showed that more than half of the patients were under 35 years old, and moderate infection was the most common type of SSTI. Leg and cellulitis were the most common site of lesion and the typical clinical manifestation of SSTI, respectively. Patients in the severe infection group have a higher level of procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP), while a lower level of albumin, CD4 ⁺ T and CD8 ⁺ T cell count. Moreover, the gram-negative bacteria were the primary pathogens of SSTI in patients with NS, and Klebsiella pneumoniae were the most frequent strains isolated from those patients. Besides, patients in the mild and moderate infection groups experienced a better outcome.
Conclusions: Patients with NS and SSTI usually showed a satisfying outcome with proper anti-infection treatment, but severe SSTI can be life-threatening.