Acute Kidney Injury and Hair-Straightening Products: A Case Series.

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE: Keratin-based hair-straightening treatment is a popular hair-styling method. The majority of keratin-based hair-straightening products in Israel contain glycolic acid derivatives, which are considered safe when used topically. Systemic absorption of these products is possible, and anecdotal reports have described kidney toxicity associated with their use. We report a series of cases of severe acute kidney injury (AKI) following use of hair-straightening treatment in Israel during the past several years. STUDY DESIGN: Case series. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: We retrospectively identified 26 patients from 14 medical centers in Israel who experienced severe AKI and reported prior treatment with hair-straightening products in 2019-2022. FINDINGS: The 26 patients described had a median age of 28.5 (range, 14-58) years and experienced severe AKI following a hair-straightening procedure. The most common symptoms at presentation were nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Scalp rash was noted in 10 (38%) patients. Two patients experienced a recurrent episode of AKI following a repeat hair-straightening treatment. Seven patients underwent kidney biopsies, which demonstrated intratubular calcium oxalate deposition in 6 and microcalcification in tubular cells in 1. In all biopsies, signs of acute tubular injury were present, and an interstitial infiltrate was noted in 4 cases. Three patients required temporary dialysis. LIMITATIONS: Retrospective uncontrolled study, small number of kidney biopsies. CONCLUSIONS: This series describes cases of AKI with prior exposure to hair-straightening treatments. Acute oxalate nephropathy was the dominant finding on kidney biopsies, which may be related to absorption of glycolic acid derivatives and their metabolism to oxalate. This case series suggests a potential underrecognized cause of AKI in the young healthy population. Further studies are needed to confirm this association and to assess the extent of this phenomenon as well as its pathogenesis.

[Long-term follow-up on the treatment of diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus].

BACKGROUND: Diffuse Proliferative Glomerulonephritis (DPGN) is the most ominous form of lupus nephritis. Treatment according to the "NIH Protocol" is considered by many physicians to be the treatment of choice for this form of disease, but this is not accepted exclusively. OUR AIM: To evaluate the outcome of SLE patients with biopsy proven DPGN diagnosed and treated in our department, between the years 1976-1996, and to compare the results achieved by using the "NIH Protocol" as opposed to other forms of treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The archive of the Department of Pathology was screened for patients with SLE and DPGN. The specimens were re-examined to confirm the diagnosis and calculate the activity and chronicity scores. The pertinent data was extracted from the patients medical records. RESULTS: Twenty-six patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria, 22 females and 4 males. We followed-up on these patients for an average period of 89 +/- 74 months (range 9-255). More than 80% of the patients achieved remission, about a third experienced at least one relapse. Only one patient died during the follow-up period and 4 others developed end stage renal failure necessitating chronic renal replacement therapy. Sixteen patients were treated according to the NIH protocol, the other 10 were treated with high dose Prednisone, either alone or in combination with oral immunosuppressive drugs. At time of diagnosis there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding the age and gender distribution, blood levels of creatinine and C3 and the level of proteinuria. We were unable to demonstrate any statistically significant difference between the two groups in any of the evaluated parameters, regarding neither patient and kidney survival nor the type and rate of complications. CONCLUSION: Following treatment, patient and kidney survival is good. The NIH protocol is the treatment of choice, but the use of high dose steroids for six months with or without oral immunosuppressive drugs may yield comparable results in selected cases.