The New Zealand Glomerulonephritis Study: introductory report

All patients 14 years and older seen between July 1972 and June 1983 in four of the five nephrological centers in New Zealand with biopsy-proven primary glomerulonephritis (GN), were enrolled in a central register. This study included 803 patients from 84% of the total New Zealand population in this age group. Polynesians (predominantly Maoris) were found to have a higher overall incidence of GN than New Zealanders of European descent, a higher incidence of postinfectious GN, mesangio-capillary GN and focal glomerulosclerosis and a reduced incidence of IgA nephropathy. The racial difference in the incidence of GN may account in part for the known higher rate of end-stage renal failure in Polynesians. Overall the incidence of GN in men was more than twice that in women, and this was particularly so for postinfectious GN, IgA nephropathy, antiglomerular basement membrane initiated GN and membranous nephropathy. An adverse outcome (entry into a dialysis-transplant program, death from renal failure, non-renal death), was more frequent for Polynesians than Europeans. Follow-up is continuing to define the long-term survival of patients with each histological category of GN and any potential prognostic factors.