[IgA nephropathy in Chinese and Australian patients: a comparison between clinical and pathological features]

The clinical and pathological data were compared between 88 Chinese and 88 Australian patients with IgA nephropathy, whose age, sex and course of disease identified by renal biopsy were matched. Statistical differences showed: More Chinese patients had edema and loin pain, while more Australian patients had hypertension, glomerular sclerosis and arterial and/or arteriolar abnormalities; impairment of renal function correlated with crescent body formation and loin pain with severe hematuria were only found in Chinese patients, While correlations between severe hematuria and histological changes, hypertension and glomerular sclerosis, impaired renal function and glomerular sclerosis were only seen in Australian patients. Differences between the two groups in symptoms, histological changes and clinico-pathological correlations suggest that IgA nephropathy is a heterogeneous disease, it may result from more than one factor.