Photo Credit: iStock.com/Rasi Bhadramani

Renal issues in seronegative spondylarthritis appear common but were reported inconsistently.  

According to the research study published in June 2025 in the issue of Rheumatology International, seronegative spondylarthritis (SpA) was found to involve varied renal abnormalities potentially linked to inflammation, disease activity, or treatments, though its pathophysiology remained unclear.  

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to examine the prevalence and potential risk factors of renal abnormalities in individuals with seronegative SpA.  

They performed a systematic literature search based on the updated Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Data were synthesized from 26 studies published between 1980 and 2025. Extracted variables included study author, publication year and location, sample size, renal assessment methods, prevalence of renal involvement, use of control groups, and statistical significance of results.  

The results showed that renal involvement in seronegative SpA, assessed via hematuria, proteinuria, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and International Classification of Diseases codes, varied widely, with prevalence ranging from 0.2% to 77.5%. Nephrolithiasis occurred more frequently in individuals with SpA, with reported rates between 1.6% and 29.1%. Risk factors such as age, comorbidities, human leukocyte antigen B27 (HLA-B27) status, and disease activity were analyzed. 

Investigators concluded that methodological inconsistencies limited the interpretation of renal involvement in seronegative SpA, underscoring the need for further research to identify definitive risk factors. 

Source: link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00296-025-05907-2