Glomerulonephritis Pattern at a Jordanian Tertiary Care Center

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Pathology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Glomerulonephritis (GN) is a significant cause of kidney disease globally.
• Understanding the epidemiological patterns of GN is crucial for public health and clinical management.
• Jordanian data on GN prevalence and patterns are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence and frequency of different pathological patterns of glomerulonephritis (GN).
• To analyze GN patterns in adolescent and adult Jordanian patients.
• To compare GN prevalence between genders and age groups.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of native renal biopsies from Jordanian patients (January 2007 - March 2018).
• Inclusion of clinical and pathological reports.
• Statistical analysis using descriptive statistics, chi-squared, and Fisher's exact tests.

Main Results:

• 209 patients diagnosed with GN; mean age 36.0 ± 14.9 years.
• Primary GN (51.2%) more common than secondary GN (48.8%).
• Lupus nephritis (LN) (33.5%) was the most frequent GN, followed by membranous nephropathy (MGN) (15.3%) and diabetic nephropathy (DN) (11.0%).
• LN predominated in females (49.6%), MGN in males (22.7%).
• Significant gender differences in LN and MGN prevalence (P < .001 and P = .011).
• DN was most common in the elderly (≥60 years, 40%).

Conclusions:

• Lupus nephritis (LN) is the most common GN in Jordan, predominantly in females.
• Membranous nephropathy (MGN) is the most common primary GN, more prevalent in males.
• Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the most frequent GN in the elderly.
• A shift in GN patterns towards those seen in developed countries (e.g., increased MGN) was observed.