Blood pressure in patients with four different primary glomerulopathies.

It is well known that patients with different kidney diseases have different prevalence of hypertension, independent of renal function. To investigate whether a lesion of some portion of the glomerular tuft, without renal insufficiency, is associated more frequently with high blood pressure, we undertook a retrospective study on 189 patients analyzing by means of multiple regression analysis as independent variables : type of glomerulopathy (IgA Nephropathy, Acute Glomerulonephritis, Membranous Glomerulonephritis and Focal Glomerulosclerosis), sex, age, body weight, plasma creatinine, plasma and urinary proteins, plasma urate, time interval first symptom-renal biopsy and steroid therapy. The dependent variable was a Principal Component formed by Mean Blood Pressure and an Antihypertensive Therapy score, calculated with a computer program. Focal Glomerulosclerosis patients had a higher prevalence of hypertension and a higher Principal Component value than patients of the other 3 groups. Plasma urate was correlated and time interval first symptom-renal biopsy was inversely correlated to Principal Component. These observations suggest that sclerosis of the glomeruli is the lesion most often associated with hypertension. On the other hand, since plasma urate is correlated with blood pressure also in "essential" hypertensives, it seems likely that hyperuricemia is a phenomenon secondary to hypertension.