Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34727880›Full record

ArticleBMC nephrology2021

Kidney biopsy in very elderly patients: indications, therapeutic impact and complications.

Mathilde Fedi, Mickaël Bobot, Julia Torrents, Pierre Gobert, Éric Magnant, Yannick Knefati, David Verhelst, Gaëtan Lebrun, Valérie Masson, Philippe Giaime and 8 more

Open access · goldAbstract readMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in BMC nephrology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
0.9field-weighted citation impact, top 28% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Late-onset lupus nephritis: what is the evidence?Kidney research and clinical practice · 2025
    Article
  3. How I Treat Glomerular Diseases in Older Adults.Clinical journal of the American Society of Nephrology : CJASN · 2025
    Article
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors at 8 institutions in 1 country.

Mathilde FediAP-HM, University Hospital of la Conception, Nephrology and Kidney Transplant Centre, Marseille, France.
Mickaël BobotAP-HM, University Hospital of la Conception, Nephrology and Kidney Transplant Centre, Marseille, France.
Julia TorrentsAP-HM, University Hospital of La Timone, Anatomical Pathology Laboratory, Marseille, France.
Pierre GobertRhône Durance Clinic, Medicine Department Avignon, Avignon, France.
Éric MagnantPrivate Hospital of Provence, Nephrology Department, Aix-en-Provence, France.
Yannick KnefatiHospital of Sainte Musse, Nephrology Department, Toulon, France.
David VerhelstHospital Général Henri Duffaut, Nephrology Department, Avignon, France.
Gaëtan LebrunHospital of Aix en Provence, Nephrology Department, Aix-en-Provence, France.
Valérie MassonPolyclinic "des fleurs", Nephrology Department, Ollioules, France.
Philippe GiaimePhocaean Institute of Nephrology, Bouchard Clinic, ELSAN, Marseille, France.
Julien SantiniSaint-Joseph Hospital, Nephrology Department, Marseille, France.
Stanislas BatailleAix-Marseille Univ, C2VN, INSERM, INRAE, Marseille, France.
Philippe BrunetAP-HM, University Hospital of la Conception, Nephrology and Kidney Transplant Centre, Marseille, France.
Bertrand DussolAP-HM, University Hospital of la Conception, Nephrology and Kidney Transplant Centre, Marseille, France.
Stéphane BurteyAP-HM, University Hospital of la Conception, Nephrology and Kidney Transplant Centre, Marseille, France.
Julien ManciniAix Marseille Univ, APHM, Inserm, IRD, SESSTIM, University Hospital of la Timone, BIOSTIC Service, Marseille, France.
Laurent DanielAix-Marseille Univ, C2VN, INSERM, INRAE, Marseille, France.
Noémie Jourde-ChicheAP-HM, University Hospital of la Conception, Nephrology and Kidney Transplant Centre, Marseille, France. noemie.jourde@ap-hm.fr.
Hôpital de la Conception · FRAix-Marseille Université · FRInserm · FRCentre Hospitalier du Pays d'Aix · FREconomic & Social Sciences, Health Systems & Medical Informatics · FRHenri Gastaut Hospital · FRHôpital Saint Joseph · FRSociété du Canal de Provence · FR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFew data is available on the risk/benefit balance of native kidney biopsy (KB) in very elderly patients.

methodsMulticenter retrospective cohort study in the Aix-Marseille area: the results of KB and medical charts of all patients over 85 years biopsied between January 2010 and December 2018 were reviewed.

results104 patients were included. Median age was 87 years. Indications for KB were: acute kidney injury (AKI) in 69.2% of patients, nephrotic syndrome (NS) with AKI in 13.5%, NS without AKI in 12.5%, and proteinuria in 4.8%. Median serum creatinine was 262 μmol/L, 21% of patients required dialysis at the time of KB. Significant bleeding occurred in 7 (6.7%) patients, requiring blood cell transfusion in 4 (3.8%), and radiological embolization in 1 (1%). The most frequent pathological diagnoses were: non-diabetic glomerular diseases (29.8%, including pauci-immune crescentic glomerulonephritis in 9.6%), hypertensive nephropathy (27.9%), acute interstitial nephritis (16.3%), renal involvement of hematological malignancy (8.7%), and acute tubular necrosis (6.7%). After KB, 51 (49%) patients received a specific treatment: corticosteroids (41.3%), cyclophosphamide (6.7%), rituximab (6.7%), bortezomib (3.8%), other chemotherapies (3.8%). Median overall survival was 31 months.

conclusionsKB can reveal a diagnosis with therapeutic impact even in very elderly patients. Severe bleeding was not frequent in this cohort, but KB may have not been performed in more vulnerable patients.

Indexed as

Acute Kidney InjuryAged, 80 and overAge FactorsBiopsyCohort StudiesFemaleHumansKidneyMaleNephrotic SyndromeProteinuriaRetrospective StudiesAcute kidney injuryAdvanced ageAdverse eventsElderly patientGlomerulonephritisKidney biopsyNephrotic syndromePathologySurvivalTreatment

Identifiers

PMID34727880
PMCPMC8561868
OpenAlexW3160174027

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.