[Tubulointerstitial nephritis associated with parvovirus beta19 infection]

Abstract

A previously healthy 9 year old girl developed nephrotic syndrome with hypertension, microhematuria and normal renal function. The patient evolved as steroid resistant nephrotic syndrome whose initial renal biopsy was consistent with diffuse proliferative mesangial glomerulonephritis with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. At the time of cyclophosphamide and prednisone treatment, she developed a prolonged febrile syndrome. She also had severe anemia following an aplastic crisis induced by human parvovirus B19 infection and acute renal failure secondary to a severe tubulointersticial disease. Bone marrow and renal tissue, tested by polimerase chain reaction were positive for parvovirus, while the patient's blood was negative. The renal involvement did not improve requiring chronic dialysis support. We believe that the initial glomerular disease could have been due to a parvovirus infection followed by un unexpected acute tubular interstitial nephritis, rapidly progressing to chronic renal disease. This case represents, to our knowledge, the first time that a direct relationship between parvovirus infection and acute tubulointerstitial disease has been demonstrated.