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The following is a summary of “Kidney involvement in leptospirosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis,” published in the March 2025 issue of Infection by Sethi et al. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to determine the frequency of acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in individuals with leptospirosis.  

They included all articles up to 14.08.2024 from 3 databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science) using search terms for leptospirosis and kidney involvement. After de-duplication, 2 reviewers screened articles in 2 phases (title-abstract and full-text), with a third reviewer resolving conflicts. Data on demographics, diagnostics, and kidney involvement were extracted. The Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tool assessed the risk of bias. A random effects model estimated pooled rates for AKI, oliguria, and dialysis requirement.  

The results showed that out of 5,913 retrieved articles, 48 met the eligibility criteria. The pooled incidence of AKI was 49.2% (95% CI: 38.2-60.2%, I² =99.4%), reduced urine output was 31.5% (95% CI: 24.2-38.7%, I² =96.1%), and dialysis requirement was 14.4% (95% CI: 10.3-18.4%, I² =97%). The pooled mean serum creatinine at admission was 3.6 mg/dL (95% CI: 2.9–4.2, I² =99.1%), and urea was 131.8 mg/dL (95% CI: 98.7-164.9, I² =98.6%). In 4 studies, new-onset CKD after leptospirosis infection ranged from 13% to 62%.  

Investigators concluded that reduced urine output due to AKI and the need for dialysis were frequent complications in patients with leptospirosis. 

Source: link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s15010-025-02492-1#Abs1