[Prognostic significance of persistent massive proteinuria in progressive IgA nephropathy--a long-term follow-up...

The most reliable factors predicting a long-term prognosis in individual progressive IgA nephropathy patients were evaluated. Ninety-eight cases who showed moderate to severe histological alterations (total score of 7 or more) and were continuously followed up for 10 years or more from the first biopsy were the subjects of this study. During the follow-up period of 10 years, 52 of the 98 cases went into hemodialysis treatment (HD). All 24 cases who had a higher total score of 17 or more, or severe renal dysfunction of less than 60 ml/min in their initial Ccr values went into HD. The remaining 74 cases who showed both a total score below 16 and initial Ccr values of 60 ml/min or more were divided into two groups in their clinical courses: 28 (group I) of the 74 cases went into HD and the other 46 (group II) did not. The degree of initial proteinuria was significantly different between groups I and II, but the degree of individual proteinuria was in a similar range from 0.5 to 2.5 g/day in most cases of both groups. Therefore, in order to clarify a more precise factor associated with the individual prognosis, the % duration of massive proteinuria (% DP) was calculated in individual cases. The % DP was more significantly different between groups I and II (82.6 +/- 26.1 vs 19.6 +/- 27.3%, p < 0.01). Moreover, all cases but one in group I showed 30% or more in % DP and 35 of 46 cases in group II showed 30% or less.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)