OBJECTIVETo investigate the distribution pattern of TCM syndrome in patients with IgA nephropathy and its relationship with the main clinical prognostic indexes to provide a basis for the standardization of integrative medicine in diagnosis and treatment of IgA nephropathy.

METHODSMulti-centeric epidemiological field survey was adopted to collect the materials of 1016 IgA nephropathic patients, including demography, TCM syndrome and laboratory findings, for exploring the distribution pattern of TCM syndrome of IgA nephropathy patients.

RESULTSProbability of over 10% could be found in the TCM syndromes as yin deficiency, qi deficiency, yang deficiency, damp-heat and blood stasis syndrome, the highest (41.5%) was found in qi-yin deficiency syndrome and the lowest (8.1%) in yang deficiency of Pi and Shen. Along with the increasing of age, the percentage of patients with Pi-Fei qi asthenia syndrome descended while those with Pi-Shen yang asthenia ascended. In the accompanying syndromes, damp-heat syndrome and blood stasis syndrome, with the proportion of 32.6% and 28.9% respectively, were the most frequently encountered. The levels of 24 h urinary protein, serum creatinine and urea nitrogen in patients with Pi-Fei qi asthenia syndrome, qi-yin deficiency syndrome and Gan-Shen yin asthenia syndrome were significantly lower than those in patients with Pi-Shen yang asthenia syndrome, respectively (P < 0.05), while the blood pressure in patients with Pi-Fei qi asthenia syndrome, and qi-yin deficiency syndrome were significantly lower than that in patients with Gan-Shen yin asthenia syndrome and Pi-Shen yang asthenia syndrome (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONQi-asthenia and yin deficiency is the principal clinical manifestation of IgA nephropathy. TCM syndrome types are closely related with the prognostic indexes as urine protein, hypertension, renal lesion, etc.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Glomerulonephritis, IGA ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Kidney ; pathology ; Male ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Middle Aged ; Qi ; Yang Deficiency ; epidemiology ; Yin Deficiency ; epidemiology

This study represents the first epidemiological study based on the national registry of primary immunodeficiencies (PID) in Korea. Patient data were collected from 23 major hospitals. A total of 152 patients with PID (under 19 yr of age), who were observed from 2001 to 2005, have been entered in this registry. The period prevalence of PID in Korea in 2005 is 11.25 per million children. The following frequencies were found: antibody deficiencies, 53.3% (n = 81), phagocytic disorders, 28.9% (n = 44); combined immunodeficiencies, 13.2% (n = 20); and T cell deficiencies, 4.6% (n = 7). Congenital agammaglobulinemia (n = 21) and selective IgA deficiency (n = 21) were the most frequently reported antibody deficiency. Other reported deficiencies were common variable immunodeficiencies (n = 16), X-linked agammaglobulinemia (n = 15), IgG subclass deficiency (n = 4). Phagocytic disorder was mostly chronic granulomatous disease. A small number of patients with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, hyper-IgE syndrome, and severe combined immunodeficiency were also registered. Overall, the most common first manifestation was pneumonia. This study provides data that permit a more accurate estimation PID patients in Korea.
Adolescent ; Agammaglobulinemia/congenital/epidemiology ; Age Distribution ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Common Variable Immunodeficiency/epidemiology ; Female ; Genetic Diseases, X-Linked/epidemiology ; Humans ; IgA Deficiency/epidemiology ; IgG Deficiency/epidemiology ; Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes/*epidemiology ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Job's Syndrome/epidemiology ; Male ; Prevalence ; Questionnaires ; Registries ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Severe Combined Immunodeficiency/epidemiology ; Sex Distribution ; Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome/epidemiology ; Young Adult