Hydrocarbons may worsen renal function in glomerulonephritis: a meta-analysis of the case-control studies

Previous case-control studies of hydrocarbon exposure in glomerulonephritis may have given inconsistent results because the stage of disease has not been considered.

The association between stage of disease and degree of previous exposure was studied by a meta-analysis of all published case-control studies and by reviewing all follow-up studies.

Odds ratios (OR) for exposure could be calculated for 16 patient groups from 14 case-control studies. After exclusion of four patient groups with 5-17% drop-outs due to death, the mean weighted OR for patient groups with acute or early glomerulonephritis, chronic renal failure, and end-stage renal failure were 0.95, 3.1, and 5.9, respectively. At follow-up, reported in four studies, renal failure was mainly seen in patients with extensive exposure, and improvement was seen only in patients who had discontinued the exposure.

Hydrocarbon exposure in glomerulonephritis is associated with the advancement of the disease and inversely associated with renal function. Early elimination of the exposure may, therefore, prevent the progress of renal failure in many patients.