Predictors of poor outcomes in steroid therapy for immunoglobulin A nephropathy

Hematuria and Renal Outcomes in Patients With Diabetic Chronic KidneyDisease

BACKGROUND

Hematuria may indicate nondiabetic renal disease in diabetic chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, some studies have reported that hematuria is noted in diabetic nephropathy and is associated with albuminuria. Hematuria is a risk factor for end-stage renal disease in glomerulonephritis, but its prognostic value in diabetic CKD is unknown. We investigated the factors associated with hematuria and the prognostic value of hematuria in patients with diabetic CKD.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We included 1958 patients with type 2 diabetes and CKD stages 1-5, and 111 patients underwent renal biopsy. Patients in the biopsied cohort were younger and had more severe proteinuria, compared with those in the total cohort; hematuria was associated with nondiabetic renal disease.

RESULTS

In the total cohort, hematuria was observed in 15.0% of the patients and was associated with young age, a lower estimated glomerular filtration rate, proteinuria, high blood pressure and short diabetes duration. Hematuria was significantly associated with an increased risk (hazard ratio 1.39, 95% CI: 1.10-1.76, P < 0.001) of end-stage renal disease, particularly in patients with CKD stages 1-3 or a urine protein-to-creatinine ratio of <1,500mg/g (P for interaction < 0.05). The odds ratio of hematuria for rapid renal progression was 1.81 (95% CI: 1.29-2.53, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Hematuria is associated with nondiabetic renal disease in biopsied patients with diabetic CKD and is associated with an increased risk of end-stage renal disease in patients with early diabetic CKD.

Microscopic hematuria is a risk factor of incident chronic kidney disease in the Korean general population: a community-based prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

Although asymptomatic microscopic hematuria (MH) is a common finding in clinical practice, its long-term outcome remains unknown.

AIM

This study evaluated the clinical implication of MH in the general population using a large-scale long-term longitudinal cohort database.

METHODS

This study included 8719 participants from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study between 2001 and 2014. MH was defined as ≥5 red blood cells per high-power field in random urinalysis without evidence of pyuria. The primary study outcome measure was incident chronic kidney disease (CKD), defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 ml min-1⋅1.73⋅m-2.

RESULTS

During a median follow-up of 11.7 years, CKD occurred in 677 (7.8%) subjects. In Cox regression after adjustment for multiple confounders, subjects with MH had a significantly higher risk of incident CKD than those without [hazard ratio (HR) 1.45, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.12-1.87; P = 0.005]. Isolated MH without proteinuria was also a risk factor of incident CKD (HR 1.37, 95% CI 1.04-1.79; P = 0.023) and the risk was further increased in MH with concomitant proteinuria (HR 5.41, 95% CI 2.54-11.49; P < 0.001). In propensity score matching analysis after excluding subjects with proteinuria, multi-variable stratified Cox regression analysis revealed that subjects with isolated MH had a significantly higher risk of incident CKD than those without (HR 1.83, 95% CI 1.14-2.94; P = 0.012).

CONCLUSION

The presence of MH is associated with an increased risk of incident CKD in the general population. Therefore, attentive follow-up is warranted in persons with MH for early detection of CKD.

End-Stage Renal Disease and Mortality Outcomes Across Different Glomerulonephropathies in a Large Diverse US Population

OBJECTIVE

To compare renal function decline, incident end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and mortality among patients with 5 common glomerular diseases in a large diverse population.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A retrospective cohort study (between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2011) of patients with glomerulonephropathy using the electronic health record of an integrated health system was performed. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) change, incident ESRD, and mortality were compared among patients with biopsy-proven focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), membranous glomerulonephritis (MN), minimal change disease (MCD), immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN), and lupus nephritis (LN). Competing risk models were used to estimate hazard ratios for different glomerulonephropathies for incident ESRD, with mortality as a competing outcome after adjusting for potential confounders.

RESULTS

Of the 2350 patients with glomerulonephropathy (208 patients [9%] younger than 18 years) with a mean follow-up of 4.5±3.6 years, 497 (21%) progressed to ESRD and 195 (8%) died before ESRD. The median eGFR decline was 1.0 mL/min per 1.73 m² per year but varied across different glomerulonephropathies (P<.001). The highest ESRD incidence (per 100 person-years) was observed in FSGS 8.72 (95% CI, 3.93-16.72) followed by IgAN (4.54; 95% CI, 1.37-11.02), LN (2.38; 95% CI, 0.37-7.82), MN (2.15; 95% CI, 0.29-7.46), and MCD (1.67; 95% CI, 0.15-6.69). Compared with MCD, hazard ratios (95% CIs) for incident ESRD were 3.43 (2.32-5.08) and 2.35 (1.46-3.81), 1.28 (0.79-2.07), and 1.02 (0.62-1.68) for FSGS, IgAN, LN, and MN, respectively. No significant association between glomerulonephropathy types and mortality was detected (P=.24).

CONCLUSION

Our findings from a real-world clinical environment revealed significant differences in eGFR decline and ESRD risk among patients with 5 glomerulonephropathies. These variations in presentation and outcomes warrant different management strategies and expectations.

Microscopic Haematuria and Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Stage 3-5 Nondiabetic Chronic Kidney Disease

Microscopic haematuria is proposed as a prognostic factor for renal outcomes in patients with glomerulonephritis. However, the role of haematuria in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD) or heavy proteinuria has not been investigated. We divided 1799 patients with stage 3–5 nondiabetic CKD into 3 groups according to the results from 3 urinalyses: no haematuria (0–2 red blood cells [RBCs]/hpf ≥2 times), mild haematuria (2–5 RBCs/hpf ≥2 times) and moderate haematuria (≥5–10 RBCs/hpf ≥2 times). The estimated glomerular filtration rate was 25.4 mL/min/1.73 m², with a urine protein-to-creatinine ratio (UPCR) of 881 mg/g. The hazard ratios (HRs) of mild and moderate haematuria for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) were 1.28 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.05–1.56, P = 0.024) and 1.34 (95% CI: 1.03–1.74, P = 0.030), respectively. The HR of moderate haematuria for mortality was 1.56 (95% CI: 1.11–2.20, P = 0.011). According to subgroup analysis, the HR of moderate haematuria for ESRD in patients with a UPCR of <500 mg/g was more prominent than that in patients with a UPCR of ≥500 mg/g. Microscopic haematuria in patients with stage 3–5 nondiabetic CKD is associated with increased risks of ESRD and mortality.

Clinical outcomes and predictors for ESRD and mortality in primary GN

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Relatively little is known about the long-term outcomes of different histologic types of primary glomerulonephritis in Asian populations.

DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS

From 1993 to 2006, 987 patients undergoing renal biopsy were studied, and 580 patients (mean age=44.4 years, male=58.5%) with the four most common forms of glomerulonephritis (membranous nephropathy, focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis, IgA nephropathy, and minimal change disease) were selected for analysis. Median follow-up period was 5.9 (interquartile range=5.7) years.

RESULTS

The focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis group displayed the highest incidence of ESRD (25.8%) and the fastest decline of estimated GFR (4.6 ml/min per 1.73 m(2) per year). The IgA nephropathy group also had a higher rate of ESRD than the membranous nephropathy patients (19.2% versus 4.3%, P<0.001). In contrast, the membranous nephropathy group exhibited an overall death rate similar to the focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis group (17.2% versus 14.4%) but higher than the IgA nephropathy and minimal change disease patients (4.6% and 3.7%, respectively, P<0.001). The most powerful predictor for ESRD was focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis, whereas the strongest predictor for all-cause mortality was membranous nephropathy with higher proteinuria. Protectors against ESRD included male sex and higher hemoglobin.

CONCLUSIONS

Most predictors for ESRD and overall mortality found in this ethnic Chinese cohort were similar to other studies. However, some risk factors linked with distinct glomerular pathologies displayed differential clinical outcomes.

Steroids in the treatment of IgA nephropathy to the improvement of renal survival: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Studies have shown that steroids can improve kidney survival and decrease the risk of proteinuria in patients with Immunoglobulin A nephropathy, but the overall benefit of steroids in the treatment of Immunoglobulin A nephropathy remains controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the benefits and risks of steroids for renal survival in adults with Immunoglobulin A nephropathy.

METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

We searched the Cochrane Renal Group Specialized Register, Cochrane Controlled Trial Registry, MEDLINE and EMBASE databases. All eligible studies were measuring at least one of the following outcomes: end-stage renal failure, doubling of serum creatinine and urinary protein excretion. Fifteen relevant trials (n = 1542) that met our inclusion criteria were identified. In a pooled analysis, steroid therapy was associated with statistically significant reduction of the risk in end-stage renal failure (RR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.27 to 0.79), doubling of serum creatinine (RR = 0.34, 95%CI = 0.15 to 0.77) and reduced urinary protein excretion (MD = -0.47 g/day, 95%CI = -0.64 to -0.31).

CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE

We identified that steroid therapy was associated with a decrease of proteinuria and with a statistically significant reduction of the risk in end-stage renal failure. Moreover, subgroup analysis also suggested that long-term steroid therapy had a higher efficiency than standard and short term therapy.

Maximal glomerular diameter as a 10-year prognostic indicator for IgA nephropathy

BACKGROUND

Although there have been many reports on clinicopathological studies of immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN), reliable outcome predictors are still lacking. We therefore assessed maximal glomerular diameter (Max GD), an indicator of glomerular size, as a predictor of the long-term evolution of renal histopathology.

METHODS

Forty-three adult patients, diagnosed with IgAN, who had estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥50 mL/min/1.73 m(2), were enrolled in this study. Prognostic variables for renal survival were examined by using the multivariate Cox proportional hazards method. The optimal cut-off value of Max GD was 242.3 μm (AUC = 0.78, sensitivity = 62.5%, specificity = 81.5%) by using receiver operating characteristics analysis. In order to assess the characteristics of glomerular hypertrophy, we divided the cases into two groups according to the Max GD value (Group A, ≥242 μm; Group B, <242 μm). Renal survival was also assessed by Kaplan-Meier curves with the log-rank test.

RESULTS

The Max GD was significantly correlated with age, body mass index and serum triglyceride levels at the time of renal biopsy. During the 10-year follow-up period, the Max GD was significantly correlated with eGFR decline per year, and proteinuria, but not with hematuria. A multiple regression analysis by the Cox method adjusted for age, sex and eGFR showed that the Max GD values were significantly associated with a 1.5-fold increase in serum creatinine (Cr) values (hazard ratio = 1.04, P = 0.03). Renal function in 66.7% of the patients whose Max GD was ≥242 μm had at least a 1.5-fold increase in their serum Cr value at the 10-year follow-up examination (log-rank, P = 0.003).

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study suggest that Max GD is a simple quantitative prognostic indicator of the disease progression in IgAN patients.