Histomorphological and clinical characteristics of patients with thin glomerular basement membrane nephropathy

Background Thin basement membrane nephropathy (TBMN) is a disorder characterized by ultrastructural abnormalities of the glomerular basement membrane (GBM), representing a spectrum of genetic and clinical phenotypes ranging from benign hematuria to proteinuria and chronic kidney disease. Recent studies have shown that a significant percentage of patients who initially present with hematuria later develop proteinuria and worsening renal function. Materials and methods We retrospectively analyzed records of patients diagnosed with TBMN, including their clinical, laboratory, and histological features, in Slovenia from 2015 to 2020. Results TBMN was the main diagnosis at kidney biopsy in 34 (65%) of 52 included patients, while in 18 patients (35%) TBMN was diagnosed in addition to other renal diseases. In the isolated TBMN group, 29 of 34 patients had glomerulosclerosis (global, global and segmental, segmental only) accompanied by interstitial fibrosis/tubular atrophy of varying degrees. 13 patients with isolated TBMN had signs of advanced chronic kidney disease at the time of diagnosis, with estimated glomerular filtration rate Conclusion Ultrastructural examination showing diffuse thinning of the GBM is crucial for the TBMN diagnosis. TBMN was the main diagnosis of kidney biopsy in 2/3 of our patients, while it was accompanied by other renal diseases in 1/3. Up to 1/3 of patients with isolated TBMN had evidence of advanced chronic kidney disease at the time of diagnosis.