title: Renal failure associated with hepatitis C virus infection. Improvement in renal function after treatment with interferon-alpha.
abstract: Hepatitis C virus infection can result in mixed cryoglobulinemia and associated clinical syndromes including membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis. Reports regarding the efficacy of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) in the treatment of patients with membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis and chronic hepatitis C infection have been inconclusive regarding improvement of renal function. We describe two patients with chronic hepatitis secondary to hepatitis C virus complicated by mixed cryoglobulinemia and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis who developed severe renal failure which resolved after treatment with standard doses of IFN-alpha 2b.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Vermont College of Medicine, FAHC, Burlington 05405-0068, USA.
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Moses
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Krawitt
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Aziz
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Corwin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003449:Cryoglobulinemia / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D015432:Glomerulonephritis, Membranoproliferative / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D051437:Renal Insufficiency / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins