EPIDEMIOLOGIC FEATURES OF PRIMARY GLOMERULONEPHRITIS IN A SPANISH POPULATION

To evaluate changes in the incidence of primary glomerulonephritis (GN ) between 1977 and 1995, we retrospectively reviewed reports of adult renal biopsies comprising 426 cases, There were twice as many males (2 86) as females (140), We distinguished four consecutive periods: perio d I 1977-81; period II 1982-86; period III 1987-91, and period IV 1992 -95, and analyzed the average frequency of the various types of GN for each of the periods, expressed as a percentage of the total number of primary GN, Except for focal segmental glomerulosclerosis whose frequ ency did not substantially vary, we found significant differences in t he frequency of four other GN, The frequency of membranoproliferative GN decreased steadily from the beginning of the study, whereas IgA nep hropathy, membranous nephropathy and minimal change nephrotic syndrome increased in the later periods, These changes suggest changes in some environmental factors, such as infections, dietary antigens or drugs.