Prevalence of non-diabetic renal disease among African-American patients with type II diabetes mellitus

Objective: This study aimed to characterize the prevalence of non-diabetic renal disease among African-Americans (AA) with type II diabetes mellitus b ased on a biopsy series. No previous study has investigated the nature of r enal lesions in AA with type II DM. Material and methods: Thirty AA patient s with type II DM who were being managed at an inner-city hospital had kidn ey biopsies to evaluate suspected non-diabetic renal disease (NDRD) between 1994 and 1998. The demographic, clinical and histopathological data on the se patients were analysed retrospectively. Kidney biopsies were reviewed by light microscopy, immunofluorescence and electron microscopy. Results and conclusions: Three patterns of glomerular disease were observed. Diabetic n ephropathy alone was seen in 13 patients (41.9%), diabetic nephropathy coex isted with glomerulonephritis in 12 patients (38.7%), while NDRD was seen i n six patients (19.4%).