A cross-sectional study in patients with IgA nephropathy of correlations between clinical data and pathological findings at the time of renal biopsy: a Japanese prospective cohort study

Background: The correlations between clinical data and pathological findings at the time of renal biopsy were investigated in IgA nephropathy patients. Methods: 771 patients diagnosed with IgA nephropathy by renal biopsy were enrolled. The correlations between clinical variables including eGFR, daily proteinuria, mean arterial pressure (MAP), serum uric acid (UA) values, and pathological parameters were examined. These patients were further divided into three groups: children (< 19 years old), young adults (19–60 years), and elderly patients (> 60 years). Results: Daily proteinuria was moderately correlated with all pathological parameters (Rs = 0.23–0.49). The mesangial score, the percentage of glomeruli that contained endocapillary hypercellularity, cellular/fibrocellular crescents or tuft necrosis, and segmental glomerulosclerosis (GS) affected daily proteinuria most on multiple linear regression analysis (MLRA). eGFR, MAP, and serum UA levels were mainly correlated with the degree of GS and interstitial lesions. In children, the degree of cellular/fibrocellular crescents or tuft necrosis was correlated with not only daily proteinuria, but also decreased eGFR (Rs = 0.51, − 0.24). Endocapillary hypercellularity was the only independent variable related to daily proteinuria on MLRA. Conclusion: In all age cohorts of IgA nephropathy patients, daily proteinuria was correlated with all histological parameters, including both acute and chronic glomerular lesions, and the mesangial score. Independent variables for daily proteinuria were the meangial score, acute histological lesions, and segmental GS on MLRA, whereas the remaining independent variable in the pediatric group was endocapillary hypercellurality. The clinical pathological correlation at the time of biopsy varied depending on the age group.