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Epidemiology of glomerulonephritis in Northern Germany

  • Nephrology – Original Paper
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Abstract

Background

Knowledge of the exact numbers of patients suffering from chronic diseases, possibly requiring costly continuous treatment, is mandatory for future health care plans. Despite some regional biopsy registries, no valid data about the epidemiology of glomerulonephritis in Germany exist, because all publications are hampered by their retrospective character and lack of completeness.

Methods

In a unique cooperation of out-patient nephrologists with a single major teaching hospital serving a population of approx. 600,000 in the capital of Schwerin and surrounding counties, all patients with abnormal urine findings and/or decreasing renal function of unknown cause were referred for renal biopsy between October 2002 and December 2008. The drop-out rate is assumed to be less than 5%. All biopsies were analysed according to international standards and traditional epidemiological and clinical parameters were collected for comparison with the micro-census of Mecklenburg-Lower Pomerania region of the year 2008. We present the first valid estimations of incidence and 7 year prevalence of glomerulonephritis in Germany.

Results

In 222 patients, 251 renal biopsies were performed. The annual biopsy rate was 64 per million population (pmp; range 46.2–87.2). The incidence and prevalence of glomerulonephritis over 7 years was 52 and 285 pmp, respectively. The most frequent glomerulonephritis subtype was mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis (20.9 pmp) followed by focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS, 11.2 pmp) of which 43% had an etiologic underlying condition. The incidences of minimal change nephropathy (MCN), membranous nephropathy and necrotising glomerulonephritis (NGN) were 3.2, 5.2 and 4.9 pmp. In one third of all cases, the glomerulonephritis was secondary (incidence of secondary glomerulonephritis 17.5 pmp). Lupus nephritis and ANCA-associated glomerulonephritis were found in 2.9 and 5.4 cases pmp.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful for the cooperation with the following nephrologists, rheumatologists and general practitioners who submitted data for this analysis: Dr. Eberhard Schmitt, Dr. Achim Selck, and Jens Freytag, Krückmannstr. 4–5, 18273 Güstrow, Dipl.-Med. Cornelia Brenning, Ziegendorfer Chaussee 7, 19370 Parchim, Dr. Kristin Nöhring, Einsteinstr. 12, 17192 Waren, Andreas Morawietz, Reinhard Schodrok, and Dipl.-Med. Maren Paukstat, Kieler Str. 31 a, 19057 Schwerin, Dr. Bernd Gohlke and Dipl.-Med. Niels Baumann, Parkstr. 16, 19230 Hagenow, Michael Pollok and Beate Bley, Bahnhofstr. 29, 19288 Ludwigslust, Dr. Wolfgang Haaf, Kuratorium für Dialyse und Transplantation Wismar, Am Friedenshof, 23966 Wismar, Dr. Margitta Oppermann and Dr. Ilona Lange, K.-Liebknecht-Str. 13 a, 19348 Perleberg, Dr. Helge Mentzel and Dr. Astrid Ohlmann, Klützer Str. 6, Grevesmühlen, Frau Inge Selmikat, Dr. Raimar Steinbeck and Dr. Gerd Oehme, Johannes-R.-Becher Str. 20, 19059 Schwerin, Dr. Elisabeth Ständer, Beethovenstr. 3, 19053 Schwerin, Dr. Cathleen Bauer and Dipl.-Med. Rainer Kubbutat, Obotritenring 117, 19053 Schwerin, Dr. Roland Schüning, Kieler Str. 31a, 19057 Schwerin, Dirk Gutsmuths, Körnerstr. 22, 19055 Schwerin, Dr. Malte Ganssauge, Alte Dorfstr. 20, 19069 Lübstorf, Dipl.-Med. Jens-Rüdeger Kastorff, Kießer Damm 21, 19300 Grabow, and Dr. Rosita Krellenberg, Am Wallhotel 1, 19370 Parchim.

Conflict of interest

There is no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, MediClin Müritz-Klinikum, Weinbergstrasse 19, 17192, Waren, Müritz, Germany

    Norbert Braun

  2. Department of Nephrology and Dialysis, HELIOS Hospital, Schwerin, Germany

    Anna Schweisfurth, Catalina Lange & Christian Gründemann

  3. Kuratorium für Dialyse und Transplantation, Wismar, Germany

    Christine Lohöfener

  4. Institute of Biometry and Statistics, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany

    Günther Kundt

  5. Department of Cellular and Molecular Pathology, German Cancer Research Centre, Heidelberg, Germany

    Hermann-Josef Gröne

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  1. Norbert Braun
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  2. Anna Schweisfurth
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  3. Christine Lohöfener
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  4. Catalina Lange
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Correspondence to Norbert Braun.

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Braun, N., Schweisfurth, A., Lohöfener, C. et al. Epidemiology of glomerulonephritis in Northern Germany. Int Urol Nephrol 43, 1117–1126 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11255-011-9955-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11255-011-9955-4

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