Abstract
Background and Aims
End December 2016, a renal biopsy network in the Flemish region (Belgium) was founded as a collaboration between the renal pathologists and nephrologists. This FCGG network introduced a uniform renal biopsy request form, a well-structured report form of the renal pathology examination and a comprehensive list of renal pathology diagnoses.
Method
Following informed consent [99.5%] and in compliance with GDPR, the registration of the renal biopsies consists of basic categorical renal data, structured renal pathology information and the final clinical renal disease.
Results
In 2017 and 2018, 1385 renal biopsies were registered – 10.5 per million inhabitants per year; in addition, 28 patients had a repeat biopsy in the same time frame (2%). Of the pediatric patients ( age < 18 years; N=92; 6.6%), 23 had IgA nephropathy, 20 a minimal change disease and 15 another type of glomerulonephritis. The biopsy was reported as normal or non-diagnostic in 15 patients (16%) – the majority was clinically considered as glomerulonephritis. The spectrum of the adult population was quite similar across gender and age groups: 56% glomerulonephritis [= IgA nephropathy [19%] + FSGS [8%] + pauci-immune glomerulonephritis [7%] + other GN [22%] ), 10% tubulo-interstitial nephritis, 7% acute tubular necrosis [ATN], 7% diabetes mellitus, and 7% nephroangiosclerosis. Exceptions are pauci-immune glomerulonephritis as the most important renal disease in women aged 65 years and older, and lupus nephritis as the second most important glomerulonephritis in women aged 18-44 years. Only a small percentage of adult renal biopsies yielded no result (7%), clinically interpreted as glomerulonephritis in 50% of the cases.
Conclusion
The FCGG network has provided a more intense collaboration between renal pathologists and nephrologists mainly by standardizing the renal biopsy reading and reporting across all centers. More precise estimates of the prevalent renal diseases were provided for the first time; however, in order to get full information, renal diseases diagnosed by other techniques ( serology, genetic analysis ) should also be collected in the future. Efforts will be done to coordinate the clinical care of renal diseases, particularly the more rare renal diseases, and to offer access to new therapeutic molecules or new schemes, through this super-regional network.
Association between urinary VEGFA and renal pathology of IgA nephropathy patients
