EPIDEMIOLOGY OF BIOPSY CONFIRMED GLOMERULONEPHRITIS IN THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA: PILOT STUDY

Abstract

Renal biopsy is an important tool for the diagnosis of renal pathologies and for the choice of subsequent treatment tactics. Objectives: To report the epidemiology of glomerulonephritis in the Republic of Moldova, based on histological diagnosis, and set up the premises for the creation of the National Renal Biopsy Registry. Material and methods: The histological results of percutaneous renal ultrasound-guided biopsies, performed from March 30 to February 19, 2023, were evaluated in the Timofei Moșneaga Republican Clinical Hospital, Chisinau. Demographic characteristics, paraclinical parameters (serum creatinine, serum urea, glomerular filtration rate, nictemeral protein), and histological results were analyzed. Results: The outcomes of kidney biopsies performed on fifty-three patients were examined. The prevalence of renal pathologies in young and mature adults was observed, with the average age being 46.2 years. Most of the examined patients were men (71.70%). The main indication for performing renal biopsy was nephrotic syndrome, present in 64.15% of patients. The most common types of primary glomerulonephritis were membranous glomerulonephritis (50% of cases) and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (20% of cases). The most frequent types of secondary glomerulonephritis were lupus nephropathy (40%) and renal amyloidosis (30%). Conclusions: This study provides the first image of the current spectrum of glomerular kidney disease in the Republic of Moldova. It also serves as the basis for the development of the National Renal Biopsy Registry, which can serve as a useful resource for health policy development