title: Clinicopathological features of Zimbabwean patients with sustained proteinuria.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe clinico-pathological features of patients admitted with significant proteinuria.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hospital based prospective survey conducted from 1982 to 1987.
  
  
  METHODS
  Paediatric and medical wards at both tertiary referral hospitals in Harare.
  
  
  METHODS
  119 patients who presented with significant proteinuria were investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the primary nephritides, diffuse mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis was the most common finding (25/119); IgM was the dominant or sole immunoglobulin identified in 17/25. Minor glomerular abnormalities were common (19/119); there were 11 patients with minimal change disease and this number accounted for 42% of the children aged three to 12 years who were nephrotic. This incidence is higher than previously reported from Africa. Diffuse membranous nephropathy was frequent (18/119); hepatitis B surface antigen was present in only five of these patients. Focal sclerosing glomerulo-sclerosis was as frequent as diffuse membranous nephropathy (18/119) and appeared to be idiopathic. Diffuse mesangiocapillary glomerulonephritis (membranoproliferative) was present in 15/119 patients; no causal association was made.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The pattern of primary glomerulonephritis is described from 1982 to 1987. We describe a slightly higher number of patients with minimal change disease and minor glomerular abnormalities than previously reported and a surprisingly small number of patients with diffuse endocapillary glomerulonephritis. In common with other African series, no patient with IgA nephropathy was found.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Zimbabwe Medical School, Harare, Zimbabwe.
authors.forename: M Z
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Borok
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Nathoo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gabriel
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Porter
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005921:Glomerulonephritis / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009402:Nephrosis, Lipoid / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011507:Proteinuria / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D015030:Zimbabwe