A Case of IgA Nephropathy associated with Acute Hepatitis A / 대한신장학회지

ABSTRACT

IgA nephropathy is the most common type of glomerulonephritis worldwide. Although primary IgA nephropathy receives the most attention, many other diseases are also associated with IgA nephropathy. Among these, chronic liver diseases such as alcoholic liver disease or hepatitis B or C have been reported as secondary causes of glomerular IgA deposits. Recently, as the prevalence of hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection is increasing in Korea, HAV-associated renal diseases occur frequently. Acute kidney injury (AKI) is one of the most common complications of HAV infection, mainly due to acute tubular necrosis or interstitial nephritis. However, unlike hepatitis B and C, glomerular involvement is extremely rare in acute HAV infection. Here, we report a case of biopsy-proven IgA nephropathy with serologically documented HAV infection. The patient presented moderate degree of proteinuria without evidence of AKI. Renal biopsy revealed mesangial IgA deposits but tubular or interstitial inflammation was not observed. This report suggests that HAV infection may be a secondary cause of IgA nephropathy. However, further studies are required to elucidate a causal link between hepatitis A and mesangial IgA deposits.