Overlapping obesity-related glomerulopathy and immunoglobulin A nephropathy: clinical and pathologic characteristics...

In this study, we investigated the clinical and pathologic characteristics and prognosis of overlapping obesity-related glomerulopathy (ORG) and immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) (ORG + IgAN), which is rare in the clinic.

We included 62 cases of ORG + IgAN, 110 cases of ORG without other glomerulopathy (ORG alone) and 124 cases of IgAN without other glomerulopathy (IgAN alone). The clinical, pathologic and prognostic data were collected and compared.

ORG + IgAN patients showed a higher incidence of body mass index (BMI), higher incidence of hyperuricemia, higher incidence of hypertriglyceridemia and higher blood glucose than the IgAN alone(all P < 0.05). ORG + IgAN patients presented with higher incidence of microscopic hematuria, greater mesangial cell proliferation and a higher proportion of crescents than the ORG alone (all P < 0.05). The ORG + IgAN patients who received corticosteroid or immunosuppressive therapy achieved a higher cumulative rate of partial or complete remission (PR or CR, P = 0.009). However, there was no significant difference in the cumulative renal survival rate between the ORG + IgAN patients in the glucocorticoids/immunosuppressors and non-glucocorticoids/immunosuppressors groups (P = 0.356). Obesity-related focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (O-FSGS) and body mass index (BMI) were significantly associated with poor prognosis (all P < 0.05).

ORG + IgAN should be considered in obese patients who present with metabolic abnormalities and microscopic hematuria. Although corticosteroid or immunosuppressive therapy achieves higher cumulative incidence rates of PR or CR, there is no benefit to long-term prognosis but an increased risk of infection. Moreover, O-FSGS and BMI are significantly associated with poor prognosis.