There is substantial heterogeneity in literature regarding the epidemiology for chronic kidney disease (CKD) in different Asian populations. We aimed to assess the prevalence and risk factors of CKD in a multi-ethnic Asian population in Singapore.
We review renal registry data from the Asia-Pacific region with an emphasis on their uses in health care and in dialysis care in particular. The review aims to demonstrate the information value of registry data. While renal registry provides a useful data resource for epidemiological research, there are severe methodological limitations in its application for analytical or therapeutic research. However, it is the use of renal registry data for public health and health-care management purposes that registry really comes into its own, and it is primarily for these that governments have invested in national patient and disease registries. We apply data from several renal registries in the Asia-Pacific region to illustrate its wide application for planning dialysis services, for evaluating dialysis practices and health outcomes, with a view to improving the quality of dialysis care. In the course of preparing the review, we have found that the quality and accessibility of renal registry data were highly variable across the region. Given the value of renal registry, every country in the Asia-Pacific region should establish one or should ensure that their current registries are better resourced and developed. Greater data sharing and collaboration among registries in the region could help advance the nephrology to serve our patients better.
An analysis of 1000 consecutive, adequate renal biopsies from patients of the University Hospital Kuala Lumpur between 1982 and 1991 revealed: minimal change nephritis (20.7%), focal glomerulosclerosis (2.9%), proliferative glomerulonephritides (16.0%), membranous glomerulonephritis (5.5%), IgA nephropathy (18.5%), lupus nephritis (24.9%), end stage nephropathy (3.1%) and others (8.4%). Compared with the previous decade, IgA nephropathy has emerged as a common entity. Lupus nephritis forms the largest diagnostic entity and is probably related to the selected referral of SLE patients to this hospital.
Estimation of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in renal transplant patients is often assessed by application of creatinine-based equations. The aim was to correlate the estimated GFR (eGFR) using creatinine-based equations [Cockroft-Gault, Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD), Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI), Nankivell] with gold standard 51Cr-EDTA in kidney transplant patients in the Asian population. This is a single-center, cross-sectional study involving adult renal transplant patients. Background demographic data, medications, office blood pressure, and baseline investigations were taken. Correlations between measured GFR and eGFR were analyzed and Pearson's correlation coefficients, bias, and accuracy were assessed. Thirty-seven renal transplant patients with a mean age of 46 ± 13 years were recruited. Majority were Chinese (68%), Malay (24%), and Indian (8%). The median duration of the transplant was 84 (interquartile range 60,132) months. The mean measured GFR was 71 ± 21 mL/min/1.73 m2. Cockroft-Gault and CKD-EPI has the best correlation with 51Cr-EDTA with Pearson correlation coefficients of 0.733 (P <0.001) and 0.711 (P < 0.001), respectively. All formulae showed >80% accuracy with eGFR lies between 30% of the measured value. CKD-EPI and MDRD had the greatest accuracy with 89.2% each. Clinician may use any of these three serum creatinine-based equations to estimate GFR in kidney transplant recipients.