OBJECTIVETo study the distribution pattern of TCM Syndrome type and its relationship with renal pathology in patients with IgA nephropathy.

METHODSApopting multicenter coordinated method, patients' TCM Syndrome type was differentiated according to their clinical manifestations, data concerning laboratory examination and renal pathology were collected to establish a database for analyzing the relationship between TCM Syndrome type and renal pathology in 286 patients.

RESULTSPatients of Pi-Fei Qi-deficiency type (type 1) and both Qi-Yin deficiency type (type 2) showed rather milder pathological changes, by Lee classification, most of them belonged to grade I-III (72.3%, 70.2%); patients of Gan-Shen Yin deficiency type (type 3) had severe pathological change and majority of them belonged to grade III-IV (84.6%); and the most severe pathological change was shown in patients of Pi-Shen Yang-deficiency type (type 4), and the Lee's grade IV-V was dominant (88.0%) in them. Syndrome type of patients was significantly correlated with their Lee's grade (r = 0.26, P < 0.01). Percentage of glomerular sclerosis in patients of type 4 was higher than that in patients of the other three types. Semi-quantitative scoring upon pathological changes showed that the total, glomerular, tubulo-interstitial and vascular scores were significantly higher in patients of type 4 than in those of the other three types; those scores were higher in patients of type 3 than in type 1; the total, glomerular and vascular scores were higher in patients of type 3 than in type 2; and scores in patients of type 1 and type 2 showed insignificant difference.

CONCLUSIONMulticentric prospective study proves that the TCM Syndrome typeof patients with IgA nephropathy is significantly correlated with the grade and severity of their renal pathological changes, thus, the TCM Syndrome typing shows definite referential importance to conclude the severity of renal pathological change in patients with IgA nephropathy.