CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL PROFILE AND OUTCOME OF INFECTION-RELATED GLOMERULONEPHRITIS (IRGN):A SINGLE CENTER EXPERIENCE

Infection: related glomerulonephritis (IRGN) is an immunological renal injury due to current or recent infections. With the changing face of IRGN over the years, renal biopsy has attained an important role in diagnosing and differentiating this disease from others as well as prognosticating the long-term outcomes. Materials and Methods: This prospective study conducted in a tertiary health care center in south India includes patients with biopsy proven IRGN who presented between October 2017 to august 2019 and their outcomes at 6 months were analyzed. Results: All the patients whose kidney biopsy was suggestive of IRGN were included. Of the 105 patients suspected and screened, eighty two (82) patients were proved to have IRGN. Mean age of presentation was 49.6 years with slight male preponderance (male 43, female 39). About 31.8 % (26) of patients had diabetes. The skin was the most common site of infection 39% (32) followed by respiratory tract infection 22% (18). Hypocomplementemia was present in 90% of patients. Nephrotic range proteinuria was seen in 54.9% (45) cases. About 4.8% cases were proven to have IgA dominant IRGN. 69.5 % (57) of patients had renal failure at presentation, among them 28% (16) required renal replacement therapy. Complete renal recovery was seen in 67% (55) of patients, 14.09% (11) of the patients progressed to chronic kidney disease at 6 months of follow-up and 9.75% (8) of patients reached end-stage renal disease. Oral steroids were given in 37.8 % (31). Around 10.75% (9) patients had persistent proteinuria despite normal renal function. IRGN in adults may no longer be considered as a glomerular disease with favorable outcome and significant number of patients (23.75%) progress to chronicity following this disease.