Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis associated with hepatitis C virus infection responsive to interferon-alpha.
A 42-year-old man with hepatitis C virus infection, cryoglobulinemia, hypocomplementemia, and nephrotic syndrome is reported. The kidney biopsy showed membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis. The patient was treated with interferon-alpha for 2 months. After the treatment, serum hepatitis C virus RNA became negative and nephrotic syndrome remitted. Repeat biopsy of the kidney revealed an improvement in renal histology. This case confirms an association between hepatitis C virus infection and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis and the usefulness of interferon-alpha for treatment.
Yamabe
H
H
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Hirosaki University School of Medicine, Japan.
Johnson
R J
RJ
Gretch
D R
DR
Osawa
H
H
Inuma
H
H
Sasaki
T
T
Kaizuka
M
M
Tamura
N
N
Tsunoda
S
S
Fujita
Y
Y
D000328:Adult; D015432:Glomerulonephritis, Membranoproliferative / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007678:Kidney Glomerulus / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male
D016898:Interferon-alpha