Clinicopathological Characteristics and Risk Factors for Rapid eGFR Decline in Chinese Patients with Biopsy-Proven Obesity-Related Glomerulopathy

Abstract

Aim

To investigate the clinicopathologic features and the related risk factors for rapid estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decline in Chinese obesity-related glomerulopathy (ORG) patients.

Methods

A total of 63 ORG patients, who underwent a renal biopsy and received follow-up for at least 12 months, were recruited in our study. These patients were classified as rapid decliners and slow decliners based on the eGFR slope value (−5.0 mL/min/1.73 m ²/year). Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the risk factors for rapid eGFR decline.

Results

Of the 63 ORG patients, 48 (76.2%) were male, the mean age was 38.7 ± 9.0 years, the median of urinary protein excretion was 1.62 g/24 h, 27.0% of them had nephrotic-range proteinuria, while hypoalbuminemia was observed in 7.9% of them. The incidence of obvious hypertriglyceridemia, hypertension, glucose dysmetabolism and hyperuricemia were 71.4%, 60.3%, 36.5% and 27.0%, respectively. 13 (20.6%) patients became rapid decliners during the median 45 months of follow-up. Their mean BMI was 31.8 ± 3.6 kg/m ², the median of baseline eGFR and urinary protein excretion were 71.8 (range of 30.5–118.2) mL/min/1.73 m ²/year and 3.57 g/24 h, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that smoking (OR 9.205, 95% CI 1.704–49.740, P = 0.01), hyperuricemia (OR 5.541, 95% CI 1.079–28.460, P = 0.04) and nephrotic-range proteinuria (OR 6.128, 95% CI 1.311–28.637, P = 0.021) were the independent risk factors for rapid eGFR decline.

Conclusion

Chinese ORG patients were more likely to have clinical characteristics with hypertriglyceridemia, hypertension and hyperuricemia, and mild to severe degrees of urinary protein excretion at diagnosis, while patients with nephrotic-range proteinuria lacked hypoalbuminemia and hypercholesterolemia. Smoking, hyperuricemia and nephrotic-range proteinuria were independent risk factors for rapid eGFR decline in ORG patients.