Immunoglobulin A glomerulonephropathy: A review

Table 2 Risk factors of progressive renal disease

Risk factors	Description
Proteinuria > 1 g/d	In a study of 542 patients with biopsy-proven disease, the authors show that the rate of renal function decline increased with the amount of proteinuria. Those with proteinuria greater than three g/d experienced a 25-fold faster decline in renal function than those with less than 1 g/d[23] (14)
Hypertension	In a study of 332 patients with IgAN, those with hypertension (defined as > 140/90 mmHg) at disease discovery had a higher incidence of dialysis or death compared to those without hypertension[24]
Reduced GFR	Patients with lower GFR at the time of diagnosis had worse outcomes[25]
Hematuria	In a 14-year follow-up study, patients with persistent hematuria had a higher risk of progressing to end-stage kidney disease[26]
Histologic features	Markers of severe inflammatory disease (crescent formation, immune deposits in the capillary loops, mesangial deposits)
	Markers of chronic fibrotic disease (glomerulosclerosis, tubular atrophy, interstitial fibrosis)

Biopsies with fewer than eight glomeruli should be considered of uncertain value for prognosis. GFR: Glomerular filtration rate; IgAN: Immunoglobulin A nephropathy.