Clinicopathologic spectrum of crescentic glomerulonephritis: a hospital-based study

Recent data regarding the clinical and histopathologic spectrum of crescentic glomerulonephritis (CSGN) among the Indian adult population is unknown. Our aim is to study the clinicopathological features and outcome of CSGN. It is a retrospective observational study from a tertiary care hospital in India over 3.5 years. Biopsy-proven cases of CSGN (i.e., >50% crescents in glomeruli) were included in the study. Cases with insufficient data were excluded. There were 34 cases of CSGN, accounting for an incidence of 5.5% among kidney biopsies. The mean age was 32.2 ± 16.09 years, with male to female ratio of 12:22. Clinical presentations of CSGN include rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis in 23 (67.7%), chronic renal failure (CRF) in seven (20.5%), nephrotic syndrome in two (5.8%) and acute nephritic syndrome in two (5.8%) patients. The immunological profile of CSGN showed MPO-ANCA in nine (26.4%), PR3-ANCA in one (2.9%), both PR3 and MPO-ANCA in one (2.9%), anti-GBM antibody in five (14.7%) and lupus nephritis in six (17.6%) patients. All the three antibodies were present in one patient. The percentage of glomeruli showing crescents were 100% in nine (26.4%) and ≥80% in seven (20.5%) patients. Type of crescents seen were cellular in 11 (32.3%) and fibrocellular in 22 (64.7%) patients and fibrous in one (2.9%) patient. Interstitial fibrosis was found in seven (20.5%) patients. Dialysis dependency was seen in 11 (32.3%) patients. After 3 months of follow-up, mortality was seen in three (8.8%), remission in eight (23.5%), CRF in 15 (44.1%) and ESRD in five (14.7%) patients. CSGN carries a poor prognosis. The disorder may have an insidious onset and a slowly progressive course. ANCA, anti-GBM-antibody and anti-dsDNA can coexist in CSGN.