Membranoproliferative Glomerulonephritis Type I, Mixed Cryoglobulinemia and Lymphoma in the Absence of Hepatitis C Infection

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Abstract

Chronic hepatitis C virus infection has been linked to cryoglobulinemia, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, and malignant B-cell lymphoproliferation, suggesting a possible pathogenetic link between these disorders. We report a patient with the latter clinical triad in the absence of hepatitis C infection. We postulate that the persistent and dysregulated immunologic activity associated with chronic antigen stimulation, inflammation and/or B-cell malignancy induces nephritogenic autoantibodies, including cryoglobulins, that produce a similar clinical syndrome in genetically susceptible individuals.

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Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis associated with hepatitis C virus infection.

David Gretch, H Yamabe, L Corey … (1993)

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection causes both acute and chronic liver disease and is also associated with mixed cryoglobulinemia. Whether HCV is also associated with renal disease, as is the hepatitis B virus, is not known. We describe the clinical, pathologic, virologic, and immunologic features of eight patients with HCV infection who were referred to nephrologists for glomerulonephritis. Four patients were treated with interferon alfa. All eight patients had proteinuria, and seven had decreased renal function. Renal biopsy in all patients revealed membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, characterized by the deposition of IgG, IgM, and C3 in glomeruli. Electron microscopy of the biopsy specimens showed cryoglobulin-like structures in three of four patients. All eight patients had HCV RNA detected in their serum, elevated serum aminotransferase concentrations, and hypocomplementemia, and the majority had cryoglobulins and circulating immune complexes in their serum. Cryoprecipitates from the three patients who were tested contained HCV RNA and IgG anti-HCV antibodies to the nucleocapsid core antigen (HCVc or c22-3). IgM rheumatoid factors, present in all patients, bound anti-HCV IgG in all six patients tested. Four patients received interferon alfa for 2 to 12 months; all had evidence of decreased HCV replication and improvement of their renal and liver disease. Chronic HCV infection is associated with cryoglobulinemia and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis. The pathogenesis is unknown, but may relate to deposition within glomeruli of immune complexes containing HCV, anti-HCV IgG, and IgM rheumatoid factors.

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Regression of monoclonal B-cell expansion in patients affected by mixed cryoglobulinemia responsive to alpha-interferon therapy.

G S Carniello, G Santini, O Burrone … (1996)

Several authors have reported on the effectiveness of alpha-interferon (IFN-alpha) in the treatment of patients with mixed cryoglobulinemia. This prompted the authors to investigate the long term effects of this drug on clinical, hematologic, and virologic parameters in a group of 20 patients (13 women and 7 men) affected by mixed cryoglobulinemia. In all patients, bone marrow biopsy, phenotyping of marrow cells, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) immunoglobulin gene rearrangement in peripheral blood lymphocytes were performed before therapy and at the end of the follow-up. A liver biopsy was obtained in patients with biochemical signs of chronic liver disease. The presence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA in serum was assessed by detection of anti-HCV antibodies, and by PCR amplification of the 5' untranslated region of HCV. The HCV genotype was also determined by PCR amplification of the core region of the virus with type-specific primers. The treatment schedule followed by all patients was 3 million units of recombinant IFN-alpha 2b 3 times weekly for 1 year. In 6 patients, the marrow histology before therapy showed a massive (more than 50%) monomorphous infiltration by plasmacytoid lymphocytes, indicating the presence of low grade non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Anti-HCV antibodies were present in 19 (95%) subjects, and HCV-RNA was detectable in all patients. In addition, all patients affected by Type II mixed cryoglobulinemia showed a monoclonal B-cell expansion in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). With therapy, 5 patients (25%) achieved a complete response and 11 patients (55%) a partial response, whereas minor responses were observed in the remaining 4 patients (20%). One of the complete responders and all patients showing partial responses relapsed a few months after therapy withdrawal. At the end of the follow-up, four patients had obtained a complete remission. Bone marrow examination showed that B-lymphocytic monoclonal infiltrate disappeared in three patients. Moreover, these three patients had become negative for B-cell expansion in PBMC. Lack of response, or relapse, was associated with the presence of Type II HCV. HCV may be the cause of mixed cryoglobulinemia. The disease is associated with a high prevalence of bone marrow B-cell lymphomas. IFN-alpha appears to be an effective agent for the treatment of mixed cryoglobulinemia. It also seems able to determine regression of the lymphoproliferative disorder. The HCV genotype appears to be the most important predictive factor for the response to antiviral therapy.

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Renal pathologic findings associated with monoclonal gammopathies.

A. Zlotnick, E Rosenmann (1975)

The myeloma kidney is characterized by casts in the distal and collecting tubules. The glomeruli are hardly affected unless amyloidosis is present. When the glomeruli are involved, the proteinuria is nonselective and, in some cases, the whole paraprotein is excreted in the urine. Nephrocalcinosis may be present and focal myeloma cell infiltration in the interstitium is a characteristic, but inconstant, finding. The nephrotic syndrome is extremely rare; if it exists, amyloidosis should be suspected. In contrast to multiple myeloma, the glomeruli are frequently involved in macroglobulinemia of Waldenstrom. Hyaline intracapillary deposits consisting of pure IgM are a characteristic finding as is infiltration of the kidney with lymphoid cells. No characteristic lesion of the kidney has been described in the heavy-chain diseases. Mixed cryoglobulinemia associated with an IgM paraprotein can produce glomerulonephritis that is due to the deposition in the glomeruli of an immune complex consisting of IgG, IgM, and complement.

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Author and article information

Journal

Journal ID (publisher-id): AJN

Journal ID (nlm-ta): Am J Nephrol

Journal ID (doi): 10.1159/issn.0250-8095

Title: American Journal of Nephrology

Publisher: S. Karger AG

ISSN (Print): 0250-8095

ISSN (Electronic): 1421-9670

Publication date Subscription-year: 1999

Publication date (Print): October 1999

Publication date (Electronic): 26 November 1999

Volume: 19

Issue: 5

Pages: 599-604

Affiliations

^aPENN Kidney Center and Renal-Electrolyte and Hypertension Division, Department of Medicine, and ^bDepartment of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pa., USA

Article

Publisher ID: 13527 Other ID: Am J Nephrol 1999;19:599–604

DOI: 10.1159/000013527

PubMed ID: 10575191

SO-VID: 46ddb190-684b-4132-9c0d-c6bfca8b691e

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Copyright: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated into other languages, reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, microcopying, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Drug Dosage: The authors and the publisher have exerted every effort to ensure that drug selection and dosage set forth in this text are in accord with current recommendations and practice at the time of publication. However, in view of ongoing research, changes in government regulations, and the constant flow of information relating to drug therapy and drug reactions, the reader is urged to check the package insert for each drug for any changes in indications and dosage and for added warnings and precautions. This is particularly important when the recommended agent is a new and/or infrequently employed drug. Disclaimer: The statements, opinions and data contained in this publication are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publishers and the editor(s). The appearance of advertisements or/and product references in the publication is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval of the products or services advertised or of their effectiveness, quality or safety. The publisher and the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content or advertisements.

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Membranoproliferative Glomerulonephritis Type I, Mixed Cryoglobulinemia and Lymphoma in the Absence of Hepatitis C Infection

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Abstract

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Karger: Nephrology

Most cited references 4

Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis associated with hepatitis C virus infection.

Regression of monoclonal B-cell expansion in patients affected by mixed cryoglobulinemia responsive to alpha-interferon therapy.

Renal pathologic findings associated with monoclonal gammopathies.

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