Glomerular basement membrane thickness—a comparison of two methods of measurement in patients with unexplained haematuria
AK Das, TM Pickett, MF Tungekar - Nephrology Dialysis …, 1996 - academic.oup.com
AK Das, TM Pickett, MF Tungekar
Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, 1996•academic.oup.comBackground Thin glomerular basement membranes may be an important cause of
microscopic haematuria. Unfortunately measurements are often not made because of the
complicated methods currently employed. Methods A simplified method of measurement of
glomerular basement membrane thickness, involving only 16 selected measurements on a
single glomerulus, was compared with the accepted, but time-consuming, orthogonal
intercept technique. Thirty-one needle biopsies from patients with renal haematuria …
microscopic haematuria. Unfortunately measurements are often not made because of the
complicated methods currently employed. Methods A simplified method of measurement of
glomerular basement membrane thickness, involving only 16 selected measurements on a
single glomerulus, was compared with the accepted, but time-consuming, orthogonal
intercept technique. Thirty-one needle biopsies from patients with renal haematuria …
Background
Thin glomerular basement membranes may be an important cause of microscopic haematuria. Unfortunately measurements are often not made because of the complicated methods currently employed.
Methods
A simplified method of measurement of glomerular basement membrane thickness, involving only 16 selected measurements on a single glomerulus, was compared with the accepted, but time-consuming, orthogonal intercept technique. Thirty-one needle biopsies from patients with renal haematuria unexplained by conventional histology and immunofluorescence were studied. Measurements were made on the same ultrathin sections.
Results
The new method was found to give much lower values (mean (SD) 202±51 versus 282±52 nm) with limits of agreement of −131 to −30 nm compared with the orthogonal intercept method. The coefficient of repeatability was 39 nm for the orthogonal intercept method and 56 nm for the new method. However, using two glomeruli the new method had limits of agreement of −120 to −41 nm with a coefficient of repeatability of 38 nm.
Conclusions
Provided two glomeruli are measured the new technique is sufficiently accurate for the diagnosis of thin membrane nephropathy, in appropriate cases, and is much simpler and cheaper than the orthogonal intercept method.
Oxford University Press