Focal and segmental glomerular sclerosis in reflux nephropathy.

Reflux nephropathy was diagnosed in 23 patients (14 per cent of all the patients who received transplants) between 1973 and 1977, and nephrectomy was performed in all. Histology and immunofluorescence revealed a glomerular sclerosis associated with the idiopathic nephrotic syndrome. No focal and segmental glomerular sclerosis was seen in kidneys removed from patients with nonglomerular renal disease. Twenty-four hour urinary protein excretion in grams was 3.1 +/- 0.3 (mean +/- SEM) and was greater than that in our patients with end-stage nonglomerular renal disease. Thirty-one renal transplants were performed in these 23 patients; thereafter, maximum protein excretion was 1.4 g. Focal and segmental glomerular sclerosis was seen in only one (chronic rejection, protein excretion less than 0.5) of the 20 kidneys available for histologic study. Thus, focal and segmental glomerular sclerosis is extremely common in reflux nephropathy, accounts for "glomerular" proteinuria and may contribute importantly to progressive renal failure but, unlike that associated with the idiopathic nephrotic syndrome, rarely recurs after renal transplantation.