Parvovirus B19 infection and kidney injury: report of 4 cases and analysis of immunization and viremia in an adult cohort of 100 patients undergoing a kidney biopsy.

BACKGROUND: The seroprevalence of human Parvovirus B19 (PVB19) is 70-85% in adults worldwide. PVB19 is the etiologic agent of the fifth disease, is a cause of aplastic anemia, and can be associated with kidney injury. We aimed to describe the cases of 4 patients with kidney injury related to PVB19 primary infection, and to evaluate the seroprevalence of PVB19 and the incidence of PVB19 primary infection in patients undergoing a native kidney biopsy. METHODS: Cases of PVB19 infection with kidney injury were reviewed from the archives of the department of Nephrology. A systematic screening of anti-PVB19 IgG and IgM antibodies and viral DNA was performed in sera from 100 consecutive patients with a kidney biopsy in 2017-2018. RESULTS: The 4 patients with PVB19 infection-associated kidney disease displayed: one lupus-like glomerulonephritis (GN) without lupus auto-antibodies, one minimal change disease with tubular necrosis, one secondary hemolytic and uremic syndrome and one membrano-proliferative GN. In the 100 patients biopsied, 67 had elevated anti-PVB19 IgG, among whom 8 had elevated IgM, without circulating viral DNA, without any particular renal pathological pattern. One additional patient showed a seroconversion at the time of kidney biopsy, which revealed a class V lupus nephritis. CONCLUSION: PVB19 primary infection can be associated with different kidney diseases. The seroprevalence of PVB19 among patients with a kidney biopsy is similar to the overall population, and primary infection is rarely documented (1%) after systematic screening. Whether PV19 is nephrotoxic, or triggers renal endothelial injury and immune activation, remains to be elucidated.

[Kidney damage in COVID-19]. / Les atteintes rénales de la COVID-19.

COVID-19 is a disease caused by the RNA virus SARS-CoV-2. It is characterised by an attack mainly affecting the respiratory system. There is renal involvement which is characterised by three main types of damage, acute tubular necrosis occurring in the most severe cases, proximal tubulopathy which is a prognostic marker of the disease and segmental and focal hyalinosis occurring in a genetically predisposed terrain. The pathophysiology of SARS-CoV-2 renal involvement is not yet defined. The direct role of the virus is debated, whereas the cytokine storm and the hypoxic and thrombotic complications seem more important. The long-term outcome of the renal damage appears to be quite good. Long-term follow-up will allow us to say whether the renal damage is part of the long COVID.

Renal tubular necrosis and interstitial hemorrhage ("turkey-egg kidney") in a circovirus-infected Yorkshire cross pig.

A juvenile Yorkshire cross pig with rapidly progressive acute renal failure was submitted for necropsy. There was marked edema and disseminated petechiation of both kidneys, producing the "turkey-egg" appearance that is characteristic of exotic diseases such as African and classical swine fever. Microscopic findings included renal tubular epithelial necrosis with extensive interstitial edema and hemorrhage; lymphoplasmacytic, eosinophilic, and histiocytic tubulointerstitial nephritis; and numerous botryoid intracytoplasmic inclusions within the renal tubular epithelium and interstitial macrophages. Porcine circovirus 2 (PCV2) was readily identified within these lesions by both PCV2-specific immunohistochemistical staining and electron microscopy. Tests for African and classical swine fever viruses, as well as bacterial cultures, were negative. The striking renal lesions in this pig were attributed to PCV2 infection and are distinct from those that are typical of other PCV2-associated diseases.

Microvascular inflammation and acute tubular necrosis are major histologic features of hantavirus nephropathy.

Hantavirus nephropathy (HVN) is an uncommon etiology of acute renal failure due to hantavirus infection. Pathological features suggestive of HVN historically reported are medullary interstitial hemorrhages in a background of acute interstitial nephritis (AIN). However, interstitial hemorrhages may be lacking because of medullary sampling error. This emphasizes that other pathological criteria may be of interest. We performed a retrospective clinicopathological study of 17 serologically proven HVN cases with renal biopsy from 2 nephrology centers in northern France. Histologic analysis was completed by immunohistochemistry with anti-CD3, anti-CD68, and anti-CD34 antibodies. Three control groups were not related to hantavirus infection: acute tubular necrosis (ATN) of ischemic or toxic etiology and AIN were used for comparison. Renal biopsy analysis showed that almost all HVN cases with medullary sampling (9/10) displayed interstitial hemorrhages, whereas focal hemorrhages were detected in 2 of the 7 "cortex-only" specimens. ATN was common, as it was present in 15 (88.2%) of 17 HVN cases. By contrast, interstitial inflammation was scarce with no inflammation or only slight inflammation, representing 15 (88.2%) of 17 cases. Moreover, HVN showed inflammation of renal microvessels with cortical peritubular capillaritis and medullary vasa recta inflammation; peritubular capillaritis was significantly higher in HVN after comparison with ischemic and toxic ATN controls (P = .0001 and P = .003, respectively), but not with AIN controls. Immunohistochemical studies highlighted the involvement of T cells and macrophages in renal microvascular inflammation related to HVN. Our study showed that microvascular inflammation, especially cortical peritubular capillaritis, and ATN are important histologic features of HVN.

Adenovirus tubulointerstitial nephritis presenting as a renal allograft space occupying lesion.

This report describes a case of adenovirus infection in a renal allograft 36 days after transplantation that presented with transient macroscopic hematuria, prominent systemic features and acute renal dysfunction. The patient had persistent high fevers despite broad antibiotic cover. A CT scan demonstrated a new discrete space occupying lesion in the allograft, which was devoid of blood flow on Doppler sonography. A targeted renal biopsy showed florid and focal necrotizing interstitial nephritis with intranuclear tubular viral inclusions. Treatment with ganciclovir and reduction in immunosuppression resulted in a rapid improvement. Immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy confirmed adenovirus infection. This case demonstrates an uncommon presentation of necrotizing adenoviral nephropathy, which should be considered in cases of renal allograft mass lesions.

Spectrum of hantavirus infection: hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.

Hantaviruses chronically infect rodents without apparent disease, but when they are spread by aerosolized excreta to humans, two major clinical syndromes result: hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). Both diseases appear to be immunopathologic, and inflammatory mediators are important in causing the clinical manifestations. In HPS, T cells act on heavily infected pulmonary endothelium, and it is suspected that gamma interferon and tumor necrosis factor are major agents of a reversible increase in vascular permeability that leads to severe, noncardiogenic pulmonary edema. HFRS has prominent systemic manifestations. The retroperitoneum is a major site of vascular leak and the kidneys suffer tubular necrosis. Both syndromes are accompanied by myocardial depression and hypotension or shock. HFRS is primarily a Eurasian disease, whereas HPS appears to be confined to the Americas; these geographic distinctions correlate with the phylogenies of the rodent hosts and the viruses that coevolved with them.