Smoking-Related Renal Histologic Injury in IgA Nephropathy Patients

Smoking reportedly exerts deleterious effects on renal function; however, its effects on histology have not been clarified in patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN).

Renal histology was evaluated in a cohort of 397 patients diagnosed with IgAN according to smoking status and dose in relation to renal function.

Among the study cohort, which was predominantly male (88.5%), 52 patients (13%) were current smokers. These current smokers demonstrated more frequent hypertension and higher serum creatinine levels than non/ex-smokers at the time of diagnosis, which was apparent with increased smoking dose. The percentages of global glomerulosclerosis and arteriolar hyalinosis increased with increased smoking dose, whereas tubulointerstitial fibrosis or arterial intimal thickening did not. Glomerular mesangial alpha-smooth muscle actin expression were similar between current and non/ex-smokers matched for age, gender, hypertension, and histologic severity, although the number of glomerular CD68+ cells was significantly fewer in smokers. Initial serum creatinine level, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and global glomerulosclerosis were found to be risk factors of serum creatinine doubling in both smokers and non/ex-smokers by univariate analysis during a mean follow-up of 3.8 years.

In addition to dose dependent renal functional decline and hypertension, smoking contributes to renal disease progression by eliciting microvascular injury in IgAN patients.