THE DIAGNOSIS AND RACIAL ORIGIN OF 394 PATIENTS UNDERGOING RENAL BIOPSY - AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN INDIAN RACE AND INTERSTITIAL NEPHRITIS

Background. There is a high incidence of renal disease in the ethnical ly Indian population in the United Kingdom, the pathological basis for which is only partly understood. This study attempted to define assoc iations between renal biopsy diagnosis and race. The aim was thereby t o identify types of renal disease which may contribute to the observed predisposition to renal failure in the Indian population served by ou r centre. Method. A single-centre-based retrospective analysis of the final diagnosis and corresponding ethnicity in 394 consecutive patient s undergoing native renal biopsy for the investigation of abnormal ren al function or urinary sediment. Results. A highly significant associa tion between a diagnosis of interstitial nephritis and Indian race was observed. There were 30 cases of interstitial nephritis, of whom 17 w ere Indian. In 15 of the Indian patients no aetiology could be establi shed. The clinical features, outcomes, and the effect of steroid thera py in the Indian patients with idiopathic interstitial nephritis are d escribed. Conclusion. Idiopathic interstitial nephritis is associated with Indian racial origin. This pathology may significantly contribute to the high incidence of end-stage renal failure in Indian patients r esident in the United Kingdom.