High prevalence of occult hepatitis C virus infection in patients with primary and secondary glomerular nephropathies.

Abstract

The association of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and glomerulonephritis is well known. However, the relationship between immune-mediated glomerulonephritis and occult HCV, characterized by the presence of HCV-RNA in liver or in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in the absence of serological markers, is unknown. We tested this in 113 anti-HCV-negative patients; 87 with immune-mediated glomerulonephritis and 26 controls with hereditary glomerular nephropathies. All patients were serum HCV-RNA negative by conventional real-time PCR. Significantly, occult HCV-RNA (detectable viral RNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells or in serum after ultracentrifugation) was found in 34 of 87 patients with immune-mediated glomerulonephritis versus 1 of 26 control patients. The serum creatinine levels were significantly higher in patients with immune-mediated glomerulonephritis with than in those without occult HCV (1.5 versus 1.1 mg/dl, respectively). A multivariate analysis adjusted for gender showed a significantly increased risk of occult HCV in patients with immune-mediated glomerulonephritis versus the controls (odds ratio of 13.29). Progression to end-stage renal disease tended to be faster in patients with immune-mediated glomerulonephritis and occult HCV than in the negative cases. Thus, occult HCV is strongly associated with immune-mediated glomerulonephritis and may have a role in the progression of the disease.

• Authors: Inmaculada Castillo, Jorge Martinez-Ara, Teresa Olea, Javier Bartolomé, Rosario Madero, Eduardo Hernández, Carmen Bernis, Ana Aguilar, Juan A Quiroga, Vicente Carreño, Rafael Selgas
• Journal: Kidney international (Kidney Int) Vol. 86 Issue 3 Pg. 619-24 (Sep 2014) ISSN: 1523-1755 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 24646855 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Hepatitis C Antibodies
• RNA, Viral
• Creatinine

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Creatinine (blood)
• Female
• Glomerulonephritis (blood, epidemiology, immunology)
• Hepacivirus (genetics, immunology)
• Hepatitis C (blood, epidemiology)
• Hepatitis C Antibodies (blood)
• Humans
• Leukocytes, Mononuclear (virology)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Nephritis, Hereditary (blood, epidemiology)
• Prevalence
• Prospective Studies
• RNA, Viral (blood)
• Risk Factors