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How common is Balkan endemic nephropathy among immigrants in endemic regions?

  • Nephrology - Original Paper
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Abstract

Purpose

In the early 1970s, a number of authors described the development of Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN) in immigrants in endemic regions. The aim of this study was to examine whether immigrants in endemic regions are suffering from BEN today.

Methods

The study involved 193 residents of two endemic regions divided into three groups: two groups of native residents—(1) members of BEN families, (2) members of non-BEN families, and (3) immigrants, who had moved from non-affected settlements to the endemic regions of Kolubara (38 years ago) or Semberia (20 years ago). All persons were subjected to an interview, objective examination, kidney ultrasound, and laboratory analysis to detect the presence of BEN consensus diagnostic criteria.

Results

The number of immigrants with BEN biomarkers outside cutoff values was significantly lower than for BEN family members. Five BEN family members met diagnostic criteria for BEN and four for suspected BEN. Although five non-BEN family members had different combinations of BEN biomarkers, all of them had diseases other than BEN in which these biomarkers also occurred. None of the immigrants met the criteria for BEN. Nevertheless, one descendant of an immigrant, a 78-year-old male, whose mother was from a non-BEN family in the Kolubara district, exhibited all the criteria for BEN: alpha1-microglobulinuria, chronic renal failure, and anemia.

Conclusion

While 30 years ago, BEN was reported equally among immigrants and natives, currently it is diagnosed in some BEN family members in the eighth decade of life, but extremely rarely in immigrants also in old age.

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Acknowledgements

This work was conducted as a part of project No 175089 funded by the Ministry of Science, Education and Technological Development, Belgrade, Republic of Serbia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia

    Ljubica Đukanović & Višnja Ležaić

  2. Faculty of Medicine Foča, University of East Sarajevo, Foča, Bosnia and Herzegovina

    Maja Račić & Zlatko Maksimović

  3. Special Hospital for Endemic Nephropathy, Lazarevac, Serbia

    Ivko Marić & Vesna Pejović

  4. Health Center, Bijeljina, Bosnia and Herzegovina

    Jelena Simić & Jela Aleksić

  5. Center for Medical Biochemistry, Clinical Centre of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia

    Sanja Stanković

Authors
  1. Ljubica Đukanović
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  2. Maja Račić
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  3. Ivko Marić
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  4. Zlatko Maksimović
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Correspondence to Ljubica Đukanović.

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Đukanović, L., Račić, M., Marić, I. et al. How common is Balkan endemic nephropathy among immigrants in endemic regions?. Int Urol Nephrol 50, 1301–1309 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11255-018-1889-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11255-018-1889-7

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