THE IMPORTANCE OF GLOMERULAR C3 ACCUMULATION IN ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH PRIMARY MEMBRANOUS NEPHROPATHY

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of glomerular C3 accumulation density on clinical, histopathological parameters and outcomes in elderly (>60 years) individuals with primary membranous nephropathy (PMN). Material and Methods: In this study, we examined the patients (n=105) in two groups according to the C3 staining density in kidney biopsy samples as low intensity (C3: 1+; LI group) and high intensity (C3: 2+ or C3: 3+; HI group). The primary endpoint of our study was the end-stage renal disease, and the secondary endpoints were the development of partial remission (PR) or complete remission (CR). Results: At the end of the follow-up (mean 30.6 months), more patients achieved the primary endpoint, and fewer patients achieved the secondary endpoints in the HI group compared to the LI group. (p=0.015 and p=0.016, respectively). Moreover, the glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was lower (p<0.001), and proteinuria was higher in the HI group (p=0.018). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that renal survival (p=0.031) was lower in the HI group compared to the LI group. In the multivariate logistic regression analyses, no predictive parameters could be detected for the endpoints. Conclusion: Intense glomerular C3 deposition in elderly (>60 years) patients with PMN may be related to poor clinical outcomes.