Hepatitis C virus-associated glomerulonephritis without hepatitis C virus in the blood

Abstract

An 82-year-old woman with nephrotic syndrome and a 61-year-old woman with proteinuria and purpura on the lower extremities are reported. Both patients had test results positive for hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody, but HCV RNA was not detected in the blood of either patient. The kidney biopsy showed membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis with capillary deposition of C3 and immunoglobulin M, indicating HCV-associated glomerulonephritis. These cases are suggestive to study the pathogenesis of this disease.