Pattern of biopsy-proven kidney diseases: experience of a teaching hospital in Bahawalpur, Pakistan.

This descriptive observational study was conducted at the Department of Nephrology, Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur, Pakistan, from January 2012 to April 2018, to study the pattern of biopsy-proven kidney diseases in that region as a part to establish a national renal biopsy registry. All adult patients who underwent renal biopsy at the Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur, Pakistan, from January 2012 to April 2018, were included in the study. All the biopsies were evaluated by light microscopy and immunofluorescence. All the patients underwent urine dipstick, microscopic examination, and quantification of proteinuria. Hepatitis B surface antigen, anti-hepatitis C virus, human immunodeficiency virus, and serology (antinuclear antibody, anti-ds DNA, and C3 and C4) were checked in all the patients. There were a total of 195 patients, with a mean age of 30.5 ± 12.8 years. Females were comparatively younger than males (P = 0.0154). Primary glomerulonephritis (GN) accounted for 77% (155) of all the patients, whereas secondary GN contributed 15.8%. Focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) was the most common diagnosis (28.2%) followed by membranous nephropathy (MN) (18.9%). Lupus nephritis was the third-most common pathology, and it predominated among females (P= 0.0026). Out of the eight diabetic patients, one each had FSGS and crescentic GN. In conclusion, primary glomerular diseases were the predominant biopsy-proven kidney diseases, and FSGS and MN were the most common glomerular diseases. This pattern in South Punjab closely resembles that in southern and northern parts of the country.