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Effects of pegylated interferon α-2a on hepatitis-C-virus-associated glomerulonephritis

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Abstract

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection leads to chronic liver disease, but it has also been associated with extrahepatic manifestations. Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) is the most common renal disease associated with HCV. Although renal disease related to HCV in adults has been well studied, it has not been well studied in children because it is rare. A recent study found that antiviral therapy was effective for adult patients with HCV-associated MPGN. We report a 9-year-old girl with HCV-associated MPGN. Her HCV genotype was 1b, and her virus load was high. The first renal biopsy showed mesangial proliferation and partial double contours of the basement membrane on light microscopy and immunofluorescence staining with immunoglobulin (Ig) M, IgG, and C3. The patient was successfully treated with pegylated interferon (IFN) α-2a monotherapy. The antiviral therapy was generally well tolerated. After antiviral therapy, a sustained virological response—defined as negative HCV ribonucleic acid (RNA) at least 24 weeks after antiviral treatment—was achieved, the proteinuria disappeared, and the second renal biopsy showed improvement.

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Fig. 1
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Abbreviations

HCV:

Hepatitis C virus

MPGN:

Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis

PEG-IFN:

Pegylated interferon

Ig:

Immunoglobulin

SVR:

Sustained virological response

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Dr. Tomoo Fujisawa, Dr. Osamu Uemura, Dr. Fumihiro Urano, and Dr. Asami Takeda for their helpful advice.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Toyohashi Municipal Hospital, 50 Hachiken-nishi, Aotake, Toyohashi, Aichi, 441-8570, Japan

    Tokio Sugiura, Yuri Kimpara & Norihisa Koyama

  2. Aichi Children’s Health and Medical Center, Aichi, Japan

    Takuji Yamada

  3. Department of Pediatrics, Seirei Hamamatsu General Hospital, Shizuoka, Japan

    Naoya Fujita

  4. Department of Pediatrics, Nagoya City University, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan

    Kenji Goto

Authors
  1. Tokio Sugiura
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  2. Takuji Yamada
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  3. Yuri Kimpara
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  4. Naoya Fujita
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  5. Kenji Goto
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  6. Norihisa Koyama
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Correspondence to Tokio Sugiura.

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Sugiura, T., Yamada, T., Kimpara, Y. et al. Effects of pegylated interferon α-2a on hepatitis-C-virus-associated glomerulonephritis. Pediatr Nephrol 24, 199–202 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00467-008-0948-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00467-008-0948-1

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