Abstract
BACKGROUND: There is a scarcity of information regarding the distribution of the diseases leading to kidney failure (KF) in children living in the emerging world. We used registry data to provide a global overview of the underlying disease spectrum in children commencing kidney replacement therapy (KRT). METHODS: We analyzed KF causes among 23,620 children and adolescents commencing maintenance KRT in 80 countries, using data from the IPNA Global KRT Registry (including ESPN/ERA Registry), the International Pediatric Dialysis Network (IPDN), the United States Renal Data System (USRDS), and the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry (ANZDATA). The analysis considered geographic region, country-level gross national income (GNI), average annual temperature, and patient age. RESULTS: Marked regional differences were observed in the distribution of KF causes. Immune-mediated glomerulopathies (GP) were most common in Southeast Asia, hereditary nephropathies in the Middle East, Africa, and Europe, and systemic GP in Northeast Asia and Latin America. In 14% of cases the cause of KF was unknown, with the highest proportion in Northeast Asia. Disease patterns were also influenced by countries' GNI and average yearly temperature; immune-mediated GP accounted for 43% of diagnoses in low-income countries and were more frequent in warmer climates. Among younger children, congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) and hereditary nephropathies were the predominant cause of KF, whereas adolescents more commonly presented with immune-mediated GP. CONCLUSION: There is significant global variability in the spectrum of diseases leading to pediatric KF, partially attributable to genetic, environmental, and macroeconomic factors.