In this study, we examined the genetic variations of NR3C1 in 35 children with sporadic steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS), and in 83 cases with sporadic steroid-sensitive NS (SSNS) using polymerase chain reaction, denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography and DNA sequencing, and analyzed possible associations between NR3C1 variants and steroid resistance in sporadic NS.