Clinicopathological discordance in biopsy-proven nephrosclerosis: a nationwide cross-sectional study of the Japan Renal Biopsy Registry (J-RBR)

BACKGROUND: Patients with nephrosclerosis display heterogenous clinical phenotypes, often leading to a clinical diagnosis discordant with pathological nephrosclerosis diagnosis. However, little is known about clinical factors associated with clinicopathological discordance of biopsy-proven nephrosclerosis. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study of 891 patients with biopsy-proven nephrosclerosis registered in the Japan Renal Biopsy Registry (J-RBR) between July 2007 and June 2016, we examined clinical characteristics associated with a pre-biopsy clinical diagnosis discordant with pathological nephrosclerosis diagnosis using multivariable logistic regression with adjustment for relevant clinical characteristics. RESULTS: Overall, the mean (SD) age was 58.6 (13.7) years; 67.6% of patients were male; and 63.2% were on antihypertensive drugs. The median estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was 43.8 mL/min/1.73 m(2) and the median proteinuria was 0.5 g/day. Of the 891 patients, 497 (55.8%) had a clinical diagnosis discordant with pathological nephrosclerosis diagnosis, with chronic nephritic syndrome being the most common (> 75%) discordant clinical diagnosis. After multivariable adjustment, age (odds ratio 1.34, [95% confidence interval, 1.16–1.55], per 10 years increase), eGFR (1.10 [1.00–1.21], per 10 mL/min/1.73 m(2) increase), and proteinuria (1.20 [1.03–2.16], per 1 g/day decrease) were found to be significantly associated with the clinicopathological discordance. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with older age, higher eGFR, and lower proteinuria had significantly higher likelihood of being clinically diagnosed with other glomerular disease in patients with biopsy-proven nephrosclerosis. Our findings highlight the heterogeneous clinical phenotypes of nephrosclerosis and suggest the need for continuous improvement of clinical diagnostic accuracy as well as for wider kidney biopsy indications for nephrosclerosis. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10157-021-02161-1.