Clinical presentation, histological diagnosis, and management of primary glomerulonephritis in Bangladeshi adult population

Glomerulonephritis is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in Bangladesh, 748 patients with a mean age of 35 years (M 460, F 288; range 15-64 years) were studied in a renal out patient clinic over a period of 10 years from 1991-2001. 306 (41%) patients presented with proteinuria of >5gm/day, hypertension (blood pressure>140/90 mm of Hg) was present in 160 (21.4%) cases and chronic renal failure (serum creatinine > 160mol/L) was present in 139 (18.6%) cases. Histological diagnosis of these patients were; minimal change disease (MCD), focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis, membranous nephropathy, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) and IgA nephropathy, 18 patients with membranous nephropathy, 11 patients with MPGN, 23 patients with mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis, 13 patients with FSGS and 16 cases of proliferative glomerulonephritis were treated with steroid alone or steroid with cyclophosphamide. The response rate however was variable in different histological disease.