Abstract
Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is associated with significant complications, including nephropathy, which can progress to end-stage renal disease. While risks for SCD nephropathy have been identified globally, their specific prevalence and predictors in Nigerian, especially across age and clinical phenotypes, are less well understood. This study assessed the prevalence and predictors of nephropathy among Nigerian SCD patients.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study among paediatrics, adolescent, and adult patients with SCD attending hematology clinics of Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria. Interviewer-administered questionnaires were utilised to collect demographic and clinical data. Nephropathy was defined by the presence of proteinuria, haematuria, or eGFR <60 ml/min. Patients were classified into hyper-haemolytic and vaso-occlusive sub-phenotypes. Statistical analyses involved Mann-Whitney U tests, chi-square tests, and logistic regression, with a significance level set at p < 0.05.