Background: High prevalences of reduced glomerular filtration rate (GFR) have been reported from HIV-infected individuals in sub-Saharan Africa when initiating antiretroviral therapy. However little is known about natural history HIV-related kidney disease or about background rates of reduced GFR in HIV-negative individuals in this region.
Methods: We estimated GFR from first and last available stored serum samples from 1202 HIV-infected and 664 age-matched and sex-matched HIV-negative individuals in a community-based cohort of HIV-infected and HIV-negative individuals in Rakai, Uganda, between 1994 and 2003. We assessed the prevalence and incidence of mildly (60-89 ml·min·1.73 m) and moderately (<60 ml·min·1.73 m) reduced GFR using standard analytical methods.
Results: At baseline, 8.4% of HIV-infected and 4.7% of HIV-negative individuals had mildly or moderately reduced GFR (P = 0.002). During follow-up, the rates of decline to a lower GFR category were of 32.4 and 20.3 per 1000 person-years in HIV-infected and HIV-negative subjects, respectively (P = 0.019).
Conclusions: In an unselected community sample of HIV-infected individuals followed in Rakai, Uganda, before the availability of antiretroviral therapy, the prevalence of decreased GFR and the incidence of a decline in GFR category during follow-up were both significantly higher in HIV-infected subjects compared with HIV-negative subjects, although moderately reduced GFR was uncommon.