Collapsing focal segmental glomerulosclerosis secondary to COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction:The renal system manifestations of coronavirus disease-2019 have been documented extensively; however, scientific literature remains scarce regarding collapsing glomerulopathy hence the need for this investigation. Methods:A comprehensive review was conducted covering a timeline from 1 January 2020 to 5 February 2022 without any restrictions. The data extraction was conducted independently, and articles were assessed for the risk of bias. Data analysis was conducted using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis version 3.3.070 and RevMan version 5.4 for pooled proportions and risk ratio (RR) between dialysis-dependent and independent treatment groups with a P-value less than 0.05 considered significant. Results:A total of 38 studies were included in this review, including 74 (65.9%) males. The mean age was 54.2 years old. The most common symptoms reported were related to the respiratory system (59.6%, 95% CI: 50.4-68.2%) and hematuria (34.2%, 95% CI: 26.1-43.4). Antibiotics (25.9%, 95% CI: 12.9-45.3%) was the commonest management used. Proteinuria was the most reported laboratory finding at 89.5% (95% CI: 82.4-93.9%), while the commonest microscopic finding was acute tubular injury (77.2%, 95% CI: 68.6-84.0%). An increased risk of the presence of symptoms (P=0.005) and microscopic findings (P=0.0003) related to collapsing glomerulopathy in dialysis-dependent group was noted with increased management (P=0.01) used in this group for coronavirus disease-2019 infection. Conclusion:The findings of this study portray the prognostic value of the variables (symptoms and microscopic findings, etc.) reported in the analysis. Hence this study serves as a foundation for future investigations that minimize the study's limitations to provide a more robust conclusion.

Automated summary

This study conducted a comprehensive review of the scientific literature from January 2020 to February 2022, focusing on collapsing glomerulopathy in patients with coronavirus disease-2019. The findings showed that respiratory system symptoms and hematuria were the most common clinical manifestations, while proteinuria and acute tubular injury were common laboratory and microscopic findings. The study also found a higher correlation between symptoms and microscopic results with collapsing glomerulopathy in the dialysis-dependent group.