Urinary schistosomiasis and implications for chronic kidney disease screening in endemic countries

This is a secondary data analysis nested within the ARK study. In this population-based cohort study, we aimed to characterise the burden of urinary schistosomiasis in rural South Africa and evaluate its relationship with markers of kidney dysfunction with implications for CKD screening. We recruited 2021 adults aged 20-79 years in the Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. Sociodemographic and anthropometric data were recorded, urinalysis performed, and serum and urine samples collected. We measured serum creatinine and urine albumin/creatinine. Kidney dysfunction was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) 3.0mg/mmol. S.haematobium infection was determined by urine microscopy. Multivariable analyses were performed to determine relationships between S.haematobium and kidney dysfunction. The methodology for this sub-study is dependent on the larger ARK study processes. Data quality and ethics processes have previously been validated by the ARK consortium.The African Research on Kidney Disease (ARK) Study aimed to determine chronic kidney disease (CKD) prevalence and identify associated risk factors in rural South Africa. The study took place from November 2017 to September 2018 and included a population-based sample (N=2759) of adults aged 20-79 years from the Agincourt Health and Socio-Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) site in rural Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga Province.