BACKGROUND: Sickle cell nephropathy is a common complication of sickle cell disease that begins in childhood and can progress silently to chronic kidney disease. In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), data on early kidney damage in children with sickle cell disease remain limited. In 2017, studies conducted in the same context reported separately on the prevalence of microalbuminuria and glomerular hyperfiltration (GHF). This study aimed to update the prevalence of albuminuria and GHF and to determine their associated factors in children with sickle cell disease in the DRC. METHODS: in boys, according to the Schwartz formula. RESULTS: Among the 175 children included, 28.5% had high albuminuria and 38.3% had GHF. Factors significantly associated with early renal involvement were frequent blood transfusions (≥ 9/year), recurrent vaso-occlusive crises (≥ 3/year), low fetal hemoglobin levels ( 400 IU/L and elevated indirect bilirubin). These results reflect a high persistence of early renal impairment nearly nine years after the first data were published. CONCLUSIONS: Early markers of kidney damage remain very common in children with homozygous sickle cell disease in the DRC. This persistence highlights the lack of effective kidney prevention strategies and the urgent need for systematic screening using simple and accessible tools in resource-limited settings.
Kabasele et al. (Tue,) studied this question.