Patient age and the prognosis of idiopathic membranous nephropathy

Idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN) is increasingly seen in older patients. However, differences in disease presentation and outcomes between older and younger IMN patients remain controversial. We compared patient characteristics between younger and older IMN patients.

We recruited 171 Japanese patients with IMN, including 90 (52.6%) patients <65 years old, 40 (23.4%) patients 65-70 years, and 41 (24.0%) patients ≥ 71 years. Clinical characteristics and outcomes were compared between younger and older IMN patients.

During a median observation period of 37 months, 103 (60.2%) patients achieved complete proteinuria remission, which was not significantly associated with patient age (P = 0.831). However, 13 (7.6%) patients were hospitalized because of infection. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models identified older age [adjusted hazard ratio (HR) = 3.11, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.45-7.49, per 10 years; P = 0.003], prednisolone use (adjusted HR = 11.8, 95% CI: 1.59-242.5; P = 0.014), and cyclosporine used in combination with prednisolone (adjusted HR = 10.3, 95% CI: 1.59-204.4; P = 0.012) as significant predictors of infection. A <25% decrease in proteinuria at 1 month after immunosuppressive therapy initiation also predicted infection (adjusted HR = 6.72, 95% CI: 1.51-37.8; P = 0.012).

Younger and older IMN patients had similar renal outcomes. However, older patients were more likely to develop infection when using immunosuppressants. Patients with a poor response in the first month following the initiation of immunosuppressive therapy should be carefully monitored for infection and may require a faster prednisolone taper.