[Clinical and histological observation of HBV glomerulonephritis treated with interferon-beta].
Hepatitis B virus carriers, a 30-year-old man (case 1) and a 31-year-old man (case 2), associated with nephrotic syndrome were treated with interferon-beta. The nephrotic syndrome did not respond to corticosteroid therapy. Their HBs-Ag, HBe-Ag and HBc-Ab were positive. Renal biopsies revealed membranous glomerulonephritis in case 1 and mixed membranous and proliferative glomerulonephritis in case 2. Direct immunofluorescence studies showed strong granular staining of the GBM with IgG and using sandwich technique with anti-HBe antiserum, granular deposits were seen throughout the GBM. Patients were administrated mainly 3-6 x 10(6) IU/day interferon-beta intravenously for four weeks. After transitory elevation of serum transaminase, HBe-Ag and DNA-polymerase have disappeared with development of HBe-Ab (seroconversion) about six months after the end of interferon-beta administration. Then nephrotic syndrome has recovered in incomplete remission after a year and a half follow-up. The secondary renal biopsy in case 1 showed less intense deposits of HBe-Ag along GBM. These facts suggest that the improvement of proteinuria is associated with the decrease in HBV replication due to interferon therapy.
Ueda
T
T
Department of Nephrology, Sapporo City General Hospital, Japan.
Gotoh
Y
Y
Shiroshita
K
K
Sakurai
T
T
Kataoka
Y
Y
D000328:Adult; D015433:Glomerulonephritis, Membranous / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D006509:Hepatitis B; D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007678:Kidney Glomerulus / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male
D006513:Hepatitis B e Antigens; D007370:Interferon Type I