Membranous nephropathy: a 19 year prospective study in 51 patients

to study prospectively patients presenting with membranous nephropathy.

the outcome of 51 patients (33 male; mean age 50.8 SD 17.7 years; 49 caucasian, two Maori), aged 14 years and over, with membranous nephropathy was studied prospectively. The patients were enrolled between 1 July 1972 and 30 June 1991. Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus were excluded. Membranous nephropathy was secondary to drug therapy in eight (gold 3, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug 3, penicillamine 1, captopril 1). All patients were hepatitis B surface antigen negative. The majority of patients did not receive immunosuppressive therapy.

forty-seven (92%) presented with the nephrotic syndrome, eight (16%) with a plasma creatinine > or = 0.15 mmol/L and 28 (55%) with hypertension. The patients were followed for a mean of 5.4 years, the median being 3.9 years and range four months-19 years. The 10 year cumulative renal survival was estimated to be 78% and overall survival 66%. Six patients have entered a renal replacement programme and six have died of nonrenal causes. Of the remaining 39, eight have renal insufficiency, 27 hypertension and 22 proteinuria. Complete remission occurred in 17 (33%)-11 spontaneously, four following withdrawal of the offending drug and two after immunosuppressive therapy. Poor prognostic indicators at presentation included renal insufficiency, need for antihypertensive therapy, pathological stage IV on renal biopsy and older age.

membranous nephropathy is an indolent disease with a good chance of spontaneous remission. In most patients immunosuppressive treatment appears unwarranted.