Renal outcome and risk factors for end-stage renal disease in pediatric rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis

Rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN), defined as acute nephritic syndrome with dramatic loss of renal function within a few months, is associated with crescentic glomerulonephritis (CresGN), which requires ≥50% crescents on pathology. The disease characteristics and renal outcome in children with RPGN, however, will differ according to the percentage of crescents.

To evaluate the renal outcomes and factors associated with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), this retrospective cohort study assessed children aged ≤15 years with RPGN at a tertiary medical center.

Of 67 patients with RPGN, 32 (47.8%) were male; mean age was 10.6 ± 3.0 years; median follow up was 1.1 years (range, 0.02-9.17 years) and 24 (35.8%) progressed to ESRD. Post-infectious glomerulonephritis was the most frequent cause of RPGN (50.7%). The incidence of ESRD was significantly higher in patients with ≥50% than <50% crescents (57.9% vs 28.6%, P = 0.029). On Cox regression analysis, disease etiology, serum creatinine >3 mg/dL, need for acute dialysis, ≥80% crescents and ≥20% tubular atrophy and interstitial fibrosis (TA/IF) were associated with ESRD. On multivariate analysis, need for acute dialysis (HR, 2.8; 95% CI: 1.1-7.3, P = 0.041) and ≥20% TA/IF (HR, 4.8; 95% CI: 1.4-16.1, P = 0.011) were independent risk factors for the development of ESRD.

Approximately one-third of children with RPGN developed ESRD; and need for acute dialysis and TA/IF ≥20% were independent risk factors for ESRD.