BACKGROUND:
The reported biopsy-proven glomerulonephritis incidence varies according to population characteristics, the unknown true glomerulonephritis incidence and biopsy rate.
Reported glomerulonephritis incidence should be evaluated against the biopsy rate.
METHODS:
We report here the glomerulonephritis incidence in our University Hospital (UH) consecutive biopsy material.
It is compared to those from surrounding central hospitals (CH), previous single-centre studies and European biopsy registries (EBR). Biopsy rate, when reported, has been considered.
RESULTS:
The annual biopsy rate/10(5), median (min-max), at the UHs was 25.4 (15.6-35.1). At the CHs it was 8.7 (5.1-12.6). In previous single-centre studies it has been 18.7-21.5. In the EBRs it has been between 1.0 and 6.9 when reported.
The annual incidences (median, min-max) per 10(5) (1980-2000) at the UH were as follows: proliferative glomerulonephritis (9.5, 6.8-18.1), non-proliferative glomerulonephritis (6.7, 3.4-12.6), the four major glomerulonephritis groups MesGN (7.7, 4.4-15.9), ECGN/FPGN-complex (1.4, 0.5-3.2), MCGP/FSGS-complex (0.9, 0.2-2.7) and MGN (1.4, 0.5-2.4) these which findings were compatible with the single-centre studies and higher than those of the CHs and in the EBRs. Biopsy rate had a major impact on the annual glomerulonephritis incidences explaining 60% of the variation.
The relative frequency of MesGN was the highest by all observers, followed by the ECGN/FPGN-complex, MGN and MCGP/FSGS-complex whose frequencies did not differ much.
For every patient commencing renal replacement therapy (Finnish Renal Replacement Registry Data) due to glomerulonephritis there were about 11 subjects with biopsy-proven glomerulonephritis, a relationship compatible with previous reports.
CONCLUSIONS:
The incidence of any glomerulonephritis of 17.6 per 10(5) population was comparable to those from the single-centre studies, but higher than in European biopsy registries, a fact largely explained by biopsy rates.
2008-01-14
Eng.
Nephrology, dialysis, transplantation : official publication of the European Dialysis and Transplant Association - European Renal Association
Department of Medicine, Tampere University Hospital, Finland. ole.wirta [at] pshp.fi
Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2008 Jan;23(1):193-200
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