Anti-glomerular basement membrane (anti-GBM) antibody disease is a rare, aggressive form of small-vessel vasculitis predominantly affecting renal (and sometimes pulmonary) microvasculature, carrying a high risk of end-stage kidney disease and mortality if not promptly diagnosed and treated. In Ireland, a national study reported an incidence of approximately 1.6 cases per million population per year and identified spatial and temporal clustering, suggesting possible environmental triggers in 2016. However, detailed longitudinal data on patient long-term outcomes in Irish cohorts remain limited.
This project aims to leverage the RITA-Ireland (RIV) Registry & Biobank—an established national resource of clinical data and linked biosamples for rare kidney vasculitis in Ireland. Based at UCC/CUH under the supervision of Dr Sarah Moran, the student will undertake the following: (1) identify all cases of anti-GBM disease within the registry, (2) extract key clinical variables (presentation, renal and pulmonary involvement, antibody titres, treatment regimens, outcomes such as dialysis dependence, relapse, mortality), (3) define patient kidney survival and, (4) patient survival at one, five and ten years post diagnosis. We will employ descriptive statistics, Kaplan-Meier survival techniques and multivariable regression analyses to assess factors associated with outcomes.
Findings will deepen our understanding of anti-GBM disease in the Irish context. This work also builds capacity for future biomarker or translational studies using the biobank component of the registry. The outcome will contribute to the vision of precision nephrology in rare autoimmune kidney disease.