Renal outcomes in IgA nephropathy following inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccination

There are increasing case reports on de novo or relapsing IgA nephropathy (IgAN) following SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, although the follow-up information on renal outcomes in IgAN patients post-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination is limited. In this study, we evaluated the renal outcomes of IgAN patients following inactivated vaccines.

We investigated the change in eGFR, proteinuria and hematuria in 113 primary IgAN patients post-vaccination. Worsening proteinuria was defined as an increase in proteinuria by more than 0.5 times and proteinuria > 1 g/d. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis were used to evaluate possible predictors of worsening proteinuria. We then compared the renal outcomes of vaccinated patients after 6 months with 101 unvaccinated patients who were followed during the same period.

A 2.54% (0.64, 8.61) decrease in renal function was observed in post-vaccination patients. Subgroup analysis revealed a significant decrease in eGFR in patients with 30 ≤ eGFR < 60 (mL/min/1.73 m²) post second SARS-CoV-2 dose (n = 18, p = 0.01). In addition, 10 individuals displayed worsening proteinuria post-vaccination, with the proteinuria subsequently ameliorating significantly after 6-month. Multivariate analysis showed that higher eGFR levels was an independent protective factor for worsening proteinuria. The renal outcome tended towards a decrease in eGFR in vaccinated patients after 6 months follow-up, although the difference was not significant (p = 0.06).

Kidney function in IgAN patients tended to worsen after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, particularly those with initial poor kidney function. This pattern of disease flare appears to be clinically mild, and further research is needed to determine whether the impact on kidney function is long-term.