#2865 The impact of glomerular C3 deposition in membranous nephropathy prognosis
Authors: Pereira Sandra , Sala Inês , de Bessa e Silva João Pedro Peixoto , Pereira Pedro Reis , Correia Sofia , Campos Andreia , Lascasas Josefina Santos 
Published: May 2024

Background and Aims

Membranous nephropathy (MN) is one of the most frequent causes of nephrotic syndrome in non-diabetic adults. Studies on MN have suggested a preponderant role of the complement. C3 deposits are common in primary and secondary MN and appear to be related to increased proteinuria. The prognostic role of proteinuria is well established, but the importance of C3 glomerular deposition in disease course is not clear. Our study aims to investigate the role of glomerular C3 deposition in the evolution of membranous nephropathy.

Method

We conducted a single-center retrospective study including 39 patients with histological diagnosis of MN. The patients were assembled in two groups according C3 deposition intensity in kidney biopsy: low intensity (C3+) and high intensity (C3 2 or more ++). The primary outcome was the development of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). The rate of remission, the rate of relapse and a decreased of at least 30% of the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was defined as secondary outcomes.

Results

Thirty-nine patients were included, 26 (66.7%) were male with a mean age at biopsy of 54 ± 17.5 years. Twenty-six (66.7%) patients had hypertension at diagnosis and four patients had a thrombotic event. The mean eGFR was 88.7 ± 34.3 ml/min/1.73 m2, and median UPCR was 5.55 g/g. Most patients had primary MN (82.1%). The patients with higher C3 deposition were more likely to response to ACEi/ARB (72.2% vs 42.9%, p = 0.06) and 29 patients did immunosuppression therapy during the follow-up period. There were no significant differences between groups, except the body mass index (BMI), which it was higher in the high C3 group (25.52 ± 3.14 vs 27.42 ± 5.45, p = 0.03) and the presence of thrombosis, which all occurred in the high C3 group (0 vs 4, p = 0.023). During a mean follow-up of 6 ± 4.2 years, 7 (17.9%) patients developed ESKD and 11 (33.3%) patients had a decreased of at least 30% eGFR at five years. The group with low C3 deposition had a higher rate of remission (81.0% vs 61.1%, p = 0.03), reaching remission earlier (9.75 ± 322.92 vs 17.8 ± 32, p = 0.021) comparing with the high C3 deposition. The rate of relapse was similar in both groups.

Conclusion

There is growing evidence that complement activation has a role in the pathophysiology and, probably, in prognosis of MN. Previous studies have correlated low serum C3 levels with poor long-term renal survival. In our study, the extensive C3 deposition in kidney biopsies was associated with lower and delayed remission rate. Furthermore, it was associated with more thrombotic complications. More patients of the higher C3 deposition group developed ESKD. It was not statistically significant, probably because of the small size of the sample, a limitation of our study. Nonetheless, we believe that C3 deposition is indicative of a worse prognosis of MN and therapeutic modulation of the complement can be a promising treatment strategy in MN.