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Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the predictors of renal outcomes in crescentic and mixed class of ANCA-associated glomerulonephritis., Materials and Methods: We systematically reviewed the medical records of patients with ANCA-associated glomerulonephritis admitted to our hospital from December 2008 to December 2018, and found 30 patients with crescentic and 40 patients with mixed ANCA-associated glomerulonephritis., Results: End-stage renal disease developed in 33.3 and 25% patients over a median follow-up of 45.1 and 46.7 months in the crescentic and mixed group, respectively. There was no significant difference in renal survival rates between the two histological subgroups (log-rank p = 0.558). In the Cox regression model, old age, lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), lower normal glomeruli ratio, and a higher tubular atrophy and interstitial fibrosis ratio were significantly associated end-stage renal disease (p < 0.05 for all). Among our patients, 17.1% were at low risk, 57.1% were at medium risk, and 25.7% were at high risk according to antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody renal risk score and end-stage renal disease developed in 8.3, 40, and 66.7%, respectively (p = 0.024)., Conclusion: These findings indicated that the renal risk score was a better prognostic tool than Berden's classification in a cohort with crescentic and mixed histologic categories.

Objective: To determine the prognostic values of clinical and laboratory features at the time of presentation on renal function and survival of patients with myeloperoxidase anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated glomerulonephritis. (MPO-ANCA GN)., Materials and Methods: A total of 119 patients (52 males and 67 females) with MPO-ANCA GN and hospitalized at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2010 to April 2018 were enrolled. The baseline clinical characteristics, renal biopsy pathological data, and risk factors predictive of renal and patient survival were retrospectively analyzed., Results: Among these 119 patients, the median serum creatinine at diagnosis was 354.30 (range, 216.10 - 637.30) mmol/L and the median estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was 14.78 (range, 7.23 - 29.21) mL/min. In total, 58 (48.7%) patients received initial renal replacement therapy (RRT). During a median follow-up duration of 32 (range, 3 - 113) months, 57 (47.9%) patients progressed to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Initial renal function status (i.e., initial RRT, serum creatinine, and eGFR) (p < 0.001) and hemoglobin level (p = 0.027) were significant risk factors for renal survival. During the follow-up, 69 (57.6%) of 119 patients survived. Age (p = 0.009) and urine red blood cell count (p = 0.012) were predictive of patient survival., Conclusion: Among patients with MPO-ANCA GN, poor renal function and lower hemoglobin level were predictive of ESRD, while older age and higher urinary red blood cell count were associated with a higher risk for all-cause mortality.

Background: No consensus has been obtained on the differences between class IV-S and IV-G lupus nephritis (LN), especially regarding renal outcome. Our study investigated clinical-pathological features and prognosis of diffuse segmental and pure diffuse global proliferative LN., Methods: In this retrospective study, a total of 120 patients with biopsy-proven diffuse LN were included, of which 31 patients were class IV-S and 89 were pure class IVG. Class IV-S was defined as segmental lesion involving ≥ 50% of all glomeruli, while pure class IV-G was defined as global lesion involving ≥ 50% of all glomeruli with no segmental necrosis or crescents. The clinical- pathological and prognostic features of the two classes were compared., Results: There was no difference in levels of urine protein or serum creatinine between the two groups. Higher serological activity was observed in the pure IV-G group with lower complement C3 (p < 0.001) and C4 level (p < 0.001), compared to the IV-S group. Histologically, immune-complex deposits were significantly more common in the pure IV-G group, with higher prevalence of wire loop (42.7% vs. 0%, p < 0.001) and hyaline thrombi (34.8% vs. 3.2%, p < 0.001). However, the complete remission (CR) rate to intravenous cyclophosphamide (IVCY) induction was lower in the IV-S than in the pure IV-G group (16.7% vs. 53.2%, p = 0.023). After 1 year, the pure class IV-G group had a higher CR rate (71.9% vs. 48.4%, p = 0.017). The 10-year renal survival rate (without doubling of serum creatinine or end-stage renal disease) was significantly lower in patients with IV-S than pure IV-G (75.2% vs. 97.4%, p = 0.028)., Conclusion: LN class IV-S and class IV-G without segmental lesion showed different clinical-histological features and prognosis, suggesting that different mechanisms may exist.

Previous reports have suggested a poor renal prognosis in patients with HIV and HCV co-infection with a preponderance of immune complex mediated glomerular disease on biopsy. Although the benefits of HAART on HIVAN are known, its impact on co-infected patients is unclear. We describe the renal biopsy findings and renal outcome in 29 co-infected patients in the HAART era and compare them to findings in 14 historical controls reported from our institution in the pre-HAART era. Our present cohort was predominantly male and Black with the majority reporting a history of intravenous (i.v.) drug use. Renal biopsy findings included 16 patients with immune complex mediated glomerular disease and 14 patients with FSGS, of which only 3 had collapsing features and/or tubular microcysts typical of HIVAN. Five patients had other biopsy diagnoses not directly related to viral infection. Median renal survival in our cohort was 15.6 months - significantly better than the 1.7 months seen our pre-HAART cohort. The modern cohort's improved renal outcome occurred despite older patients, longer HIV infection and similar levels of renal insufficiency. Our data indicate a changing epidemiology and natural history of renal disease in the HAART era with less immune complex mediated glomerular disease and more non-collapsing FSGS of the usual type. The marked improvement is likely to be multifactorial, including use of antiretroviral and anti-HCV therapies, RAAS antagonists, earlier nephrology referral and generally improved medical care.

Aim: Pauci-immune small vessel vasculitis (SVV) and anti-GBM disease are the most common causes of rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN) and they frequently lead to end-stage renal disease. For renal replacement therapy, renal transplantation is the preferred treatment option. However, in patients with glomerular diseases, the outcome of renal transplantation can be adversely affected by recurrence of the original disease. The information in the medical literature on the outcome of renal transplantation in patients with RPGN is limited because most data are derived from case studies and from studies involving a small number of patients., Methods: We studied the outcome of renal transplantation in patients with pauciimmune SVV or anti-GBM disease, transplanted in our center between 1968 and 2000. Patient and graft survival were compared with a matched control group from our hospital. We specifically looked for any evidence of recurrent disease., Results: Included in the study were 43 patients (31 male, 12 female) with a mean age (+/- SD) of 48 +/- 15 years at transplantation. Patients were diagnosed as Wegener's granulomatosis (n = 8), microscopic polyangiitis (n = 7), renal limited vasculitis (n = 18) and anti-GBM disease (n = 10). The average follow-up was 62 +/- 57 months. No graft was lost due to recurrence of the underlying disease. One patient with Wegener's granulomatosis had a relapse with only extrarenal manifestations 5 months after transplantation. Patient and graft survival at 5 years after transplantation were 77% and 60%. Survival rates were not significantly different from a matched control group of renal transplant patients with other underlying diseases, 79% and 56%, respectively. Patients with pauci-immune SVV or anti-GBM disease developed significantly more malignancies than the control group (p = 0.02)., Conclusions: Recurrence of pauci-immune SVV and anti-GBM disease after transplantation is rare. Renal transplantation can be successfully performed in patients with pauciimmune vasculitis or anti-GBM disease. Physicians should be aware of the greater risk of developing malignancies, especially skin cancer.

One hundred and four consecutive patients with idiopathic membranous nephropathy have been followed for 24 years. The actuarial survival rates in 5, 10 and 15 years were 94.6, 90.0 and 80.3%, respectively. Within the first 5 years clinical status improved gradually, but thereafter entered into an equilibrated state, when approximately 70% of the patients were in remission of absent (40%) or less than 1.0 g/24 hour urinary protein. As for renal function, within the initial 5 years around 80% of the patients revealed a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) greater than 80 ml/min. This percentage reduced approximately to 70 and 50% over periods of 10 and 15 years, whereas a mean reduction rate of GFR was only 15 ml/min over a period of 8 years. The clinical status at the 5th year correlated well with its outcome (rs = 0.676, p less than 0.001) and GFR estimated around the 5th year with the final estimate (r = 0.796, p less than 0.001). These data suggest that membranous nephropathy follows a fairly good clinical course, and that the 5th year clinical status and renal function are valuable prognostic indices of the disease.

The prognosis of chronic glomerulonephritis based on renal function was assessed using a statistical technique of the Markov process, where the absorbing state was assumed to be an uremic state, 194 adult patients with different types of disease were subjected to study. The 15 min value obtained in the intravenous PSP excretion test was divided into five states; SI (greater than 34%, normal), SII(25-34), SIII(15-24), SIV(5-14) and SV (greater than 5, uremic). The rates of SV with time were calculated with respect to several clinical characteristics. The prognosis of the patients with hypertension, distinct proteinuria and hematuria, or cellular cylindruria appeared to be relatively poor. The estimated number of years from each state to SV were also calculated. The results were similar to those already reported and gave us more exact information about the prognosis.

Sixty-seven patients with idiopathic membranous glomerulonephritis (iMGN) were analyzed clinically. Their mean age was 39.3 years, and 47 (70%) of them were male. Fifty (74.6%) showed nephrotic syndrome (NS) initially and five (7.5%) had additionally chronic renal failure. Hypertension was present in 27%. During the follow-up (mean 6.7 years) renal death occurred in four patients 12-151 (mean 84.2) months after the diagnosis of iMGN. Four patients died of non-renal causes. The actuarial life-table survival at 5, 10 and 15 years was 94%, 83% and 69%, respectively. To some extent renal function deteriorated in 13 patients (19%). These patients were older (49.9 vs. 36.8 years, p less than 0.01) than those with preserved renal function, and many of them had serum creatinine levels of 125 mumol/l or more initially. Sex did not correlate with the development of renal insufficiency. Patients with slight proteinuria never showed loss of renal function. The retrospective comparison of survival in patients who did (N = 31) or did not (N = 19) receive corticosteroids and/or immunosuppressive drugs for the treatment of NS revealed no evident difference at 5 or 10 years. This clinical analysis emphasizes the fairly favorable outcome of patients with iMGN. Hence a reserved view must be taken when treatment with potentially dangerous agents is considered in a disease with unknown etiology and pathogenesis.