title: Aristolochic acid nephropathy in a Chinese patient: time to abandon the term "Chinese herbs nephropathy"?
abstract: The causal role of aristolochic acid (AA) in the so-called Chinese herbs nephropathy (CHN) has been conclusively demonstrated only in the Belgian epidemic. We report a biopsy-proven hypocellular interstitial fibrosing nephropathy in a Chinese patient who had ingested a Chinese herbal preparation bought in Shanghai. The identification of AA in the preparation and of AA-DNA adducts in the kidney tissue unequivocally demonstrates, for the first time, the causal role of AA outside the Belgian epidemic. Because the ingested preparation is very popular in China as an over-the-counter product, our observation raises the possibility that many such cases due to AA might be currently unrecognized in China. AA should be banned from herbal preparations worldwide. All cases of the so-called CHN, in which the causal role of AA has been thoroughly documented, should be further identified as aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN). The term phytotherapy-associated interstitial nephritis (PAIN) might refer to the other cases associated with phytotherapy without identification, as yet, of the causal agent.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Nephrology and Pathology, Cliniques St. Luc, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gillerot
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jadoul
authors.forename: V M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Arlt
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: van Ypersele De Strihou
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Schmeiser
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: But
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Bieler
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Cosyns
mesh_terms: D034341:Aristolochic Acids; D018736:DNA Adducts; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010616:Phenanthrenes / Q000009:adverse effects*; D051437:Renal Insufficiency / Q000139:chemically induced*; D009626:Terminology as Topic
chemical_list: D034341:Aristolochic Acids; D018736:DNA Adducts; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D010616:Phenanthrenes; C000228:aristolochic acid I