Abstract

OBJECTIVE
Kidney biopsy is an important diagnostic tool in assessing glomerular damage. This study aimed to determine the occurrence of glomerular disease during the past decade at a single centre, to assess potential changes in the structure of primary glomerulopathies over time, and to define gender- and age-related differences.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
A total of 578 consecutive native kidney biopsies during the period 2000-2010 was retrospectively reviewed at Tartu University Hospital, Estonia. Biopsies were evaluated according to clinical data with standard histological methods.
RESULTS
The patients' mean age was 39.9 ± 17.9 (range 4-87) years. Less than half of informative kidney biopsies (n = 547) comprised primary glomerulopathies (45.4%), the patients' mean age was 38.7 ± 17.7 (4-79) years and the predominant group comprised male patients. Secondary glomerulopathies made up 22.3%, tubulointerstitial diseases 8.2% and other conditions 24.1%. Among primary glomerulopathies, inflammatory damage to glomeruli dominated (63.4%), whereas immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy was the most common disease (35.5%). Non-inflammatory diseases of glomeruli made up 34.6%, among which the most common was focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (16.1%), followed by minimal change disease (14.1%). Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis was a rare form of glomerular damage among primary glomerulopathies (7.7%). Comparison between male and female cases in the primary glomerulopathies group revealed a statistically significant difference in their frequency (p = 0.01).
CONCLUSIONS
Inflammatory glomerulopathies mostly prevailed in the spectrum of primary glomerulopathies. IgA nephropathy was the most common glomerulopathy. Comparing the data with those from a 15-year earlier period at the same centre, a change towards non-inflammatory glomerulopathies was noticed.

Links

Publisher Full Text

Authors

Riispere Z, Ots-Rosenberg M

Institution

Departments of Pathology, Tartu University, Estonia. zivile.riispere@kliinikum.ee

Source

Scandinavian journal of urology and nephrology 46:5 2012 Oct pg 389-94

MeSH

Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Biopsy
Child
Child, Preschool
Estonia
Female
Glomerulonephritis
Glomerulonephritis, IGA
Glomerulonephritis, Membranoproliferative
Glomerulosclerosis, Focal Segmental
Humans
Kidney Diseases
Male
Middle Aged
Nephritis, Interstitial
Nephrosis, Lipoid
Retrospective Studies
Sex Factors

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article

Language

eng

PubMed ID

22725262