According to the differences of exogenous pathogenic factors, course and severity of the disease, acute nephritis is divided into six syndromes of wind and water struggling with each other, internal invasion of dampness and heat, qi deficiency of the lung and spleen, water and qi superiorly disturbing the heart and lung, pathogenic factors invading Jueyin meridian and internal obstruction of water and toxin in syndrome differentiation. The first three syndromes belong to common syndromes, of which wind and water struggling with each other and internal invasion of dampness and heat can be seen at the early stage while qi deficiency of the lung and spleen can be encountered at the late stage.

The last three syndromes pertain to deteriorated syndromes which can be seen in infantile patients in severe cases at the early stage. Wind and water struggling with each other is commonly caused by wind and heat of the lung meridian as well as sore throat, which is acute onset and first marked by edema of eyelids, then the limbs nonpitting edema with lustrous skin, and accompanied by the exterior syndrome of pathogenic wind; internal invasion of dampness and heat is commonly encountered after skin sore and boil, and marked by dark and scanty urine like strong tea, edema of limbs and the body, accompanied by skin sore, fever, chest distress and thoracic fullness, anorexia, nausea, etc.

Qi deficiency of the lung and spleen is marked by inapparent edema or no edema, susceptibility to profuse sweat, lustreless complexion, lassitude and hypodynamia; the commonly seen symptoms of water and qi superiorly disturbing the heart and lung include edema of limbs and body, cough, short breath, palpitation, chest distress, cyanotic lips, even dysphoria and restlessness with inability to lie in a horizontal position, etc.; pathogenic factors invading Jueyin meridian is marked by headache, vertigo, blurred vision, dysphoria, even clonic convulsion, coma, etc. ; internal stagnation of water and toxin is marked by general edema, scanty urine or anuria, dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, even coma.