Nippon Jinzo Gakkai Shi

[Acute renal failure in non-fulminant acute hepatitis without hepatitis A, B or C virus infection]

Year 1998
Kaneda K. Ishida S. Kondou S. Seike M. Saikawa T. Takebayashi S.
1st Department of Internal Medicine, Oita Medical University, Japan.
Here, we report a 35-year-old man with non-fulminant acute non A, non B, non C hepatitis which developed into acute renal failure. The patient was admitted to hospital with the chief complaints of general fatigue, nausea and a high-grade fever of 40 degrees C. Laboratory examination revealed severe liver dysfunction and renal insufficiency on admission: his serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase was 3.203 IU/ml, serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase was 3.825 IU/ml, lactic dehydrogenase was 2.840 IU/ml, blood urea nitrogen was 65 mg/dl, and creatinine was 7.6 mg/dl. Hemodialysis was conducted during the initial 19-day period after admission because anuria was manifested on admission. On the 36th day after onset, renal functions returned to normal and the patient was negative for IgM-HA antibody. HBs antigen, IgM-HBC antibody, HCV antibody, cytomegalovirus antibody, and Epstein-Barr virus antibody. However, liver biopsy for histological examination on the 44th day after onset revealed no specific findings except the healing stage of acute hepatitis. Renal biopsy on the 49th day showed the healing stage of acute tubular necrosis without any glomerular change. It has been infrequently reported that acute renal failure develops following a non-fulminant acute state without hepatitis A, B or C virus infection. It is necessary to take acute renal failure into account in the clinical course of non-fulminant non A, non B, non C hepatitis.

[Renal damage in a chronic active hepatitis C patient receiving interferon-alpha therapy]

Year 1998
Horino T. Kuriyama S. Tomonari H. Numata M. Hayashi F. Nagata H. Hikita M. Utsunomiya Y. Kawamura T. Hosoya T.
Saiseikai Central Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
A 68-year-old male patient with chronic active hepatitis C was treated with interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) for a period of 5 months. The patient responded well to the IFN therapy showing substantial improvement in liver function and disappearance of HCV-RNA. However, one year after the treatment he was found to have developed proteinuria and showed a reduction in Ccr. Renal biopsy findings were as follows: Light microscopy showed diffuse expansion of mesangial cells with a focal/local increase in cellularity accompanied by capillary loop thickening. Splitting of the basement membrane was also present. An immunofluorescent study showed that IgA was localized predominantly in the peripheral capillary wall. Electron microscopy showed that there was mesangial cell interposition between the peripheral capillary wall and endothelial cells. Furthermore, endothelial cells were expanded and numerous platelets were seen in the capillary lumen. These findings were compatible with focal MPGN accompanied by activation of endothelial cells. These histological data suggest two clinical disease entities: late-onset renal damage induced by IFN-alpha alone, and HCV-induced renal damage possibly modified by the direct effect of IFN-alpha on the endothelium. The present case suggests that IFN therapy for HCV may produce a particular type of renal damage, under the influence of either IFN or HCV infection, and/or both.