Glomerulosclerosis is a prognostic risk factor in patients with membranous nephropathy and non-nephrotic proteinuria

Objective To explore the predictive value of the proportion of glomerulosclerosis (GS) incidences on the progression of membranous nephropathy with non-nephrotic proteinuria (NNP).Methods This study was a single-center, retrospective, cohort study. Patients with biopsy-proven idiopathic membranous nephropathy were divided into three groups based on the proportion of glomerular sclerosis, and their demographic, clinical, and pathological data were compared. The proportions of primary and secondary endpoints were recorded, and the relationship between GS and primary outcomes (progression to nephrotic syndrome, complete remission, and persistent NNP) and the renal composite endpoint was analyzed.Results A total of 112 patients were divided into three groups according to the proportions of glomerulosclerosis. The median follow-up time was 26.5 (13–51) months. There were significant differences in blood pressure (p