IgA Nephropathy: A Timeline from Hematuria/Proteinuria to Nephrology Referral and Kidney Biopsy

Background: IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common cause of glomerulonephritis with hematuria being its hallmark finding. This study is aimed to look at the time between the development of hematuria and/or proteinuria and nephrology referral as well as time to biopsy. Methods: We did a retrospective analysis of patients seen at UPMC seen by UPP nephrology who underwent a kidney biopsy from 1/1/20 to 3/13/24. The onset of hematuria and/or proteinuria was noted and compared to when the nephrology referral was made. The time in days between the first nephrology appointment and renal biopsy was also noted. Exclusion criteria were patients with secondary causes of IgA or those not seen by UPP nephrology. Results: Preliminary data analysis revealed a total of 15 patients that were included. There were 8 men, 7 women, average age 43, 3 Asians and 12 Caucasians/White. Time between onset of hematuria/proteinuria to nephrology referrals ranged from 0 to 3633 days with a mean of 747 days. Whereas time between first nephrology encounter and biopsy ranged from 2 to 815 days with a mean of 149 days. Conclusion: Recent data from UK registry indicates that patients with IgA nephrology and proteinuria have worse outcomes. With several novel treatments emerging for IgA Nephropathy, early referral and diagnosis is crucial to prevent progression to ESRD.