Serum total cholesterol serves as an independent risk factor for the progression of disease in idiopathic membranous nephropathy.

Background This study sought to uncover potential risk factors linked to disease development by analyzing the medical and renal histology features of individuals with idiopathic membranous nephropathy associated with nephrotic syndrome. Methods Our retrospective research involved 373 patients who met the specified inclusion criteria and had a kidney biopsy diagnosis between January 2016 and August 2023. The crowds recorded the clinical and pathological characteristics at baseline and assessed the outcomes during the follow-up period. Researchers used a binary logistic regression analysis to identify the risk factors associated with disease progression in individuals with membranous nephropathy. We categorized the patients into two distinct groups: those with progressing renal disease and those without. Results Thirty-six (9.65%) people experienced nephropathy progression following an average follow-up period of 15 (inter-quartile range 9,24) months. Serum total cholesterol levels had a substantial negative connection with albumin, as evidenced by Spearman's rho = -0.39 ( p  < 0.001). The ROC curve for serum total cholesterol indicated a sensitivity of 69.4% and a specificity of 76.9% in predicting nephropathy development. The area beneath the curve was 0.789 ( p  < 0.001, 95% CI: 0.725–0.852). Logistic multivariate analysis revealed that total cholesterol levels in the blood (OR = 1.554, 95% CI: 1.294–1.861, p  < 0.001) constitute an independent risk factor for nephropathy development. Conclusion In patients with membranous nephropathy and nephrotic syndrome, serum total cholesterol levels act as a separate danger indicator for disease advancement.