NEPHROTIC SYNDROME AFTER LIVER-TRANSPLANTATION IN A PATIENT WITH HEPATITIS-C VIRUS-ASSOCIATED GLOMERULONEPHRITIS

In recent years, hepatitis C virus infection has been reported to be t ypically associated with membrane-proliferative glomerulonephritis and less frequently with membranous nephropathy. Treatment of hepatitis C with interferon-alpha can reduce viremia and improve renal disease. A fter liver transplantation for hepatitis C virus-associated liver fail ure, standard immunosuppressive protocols result in a significant incr ease in hepatitis C viremia. In this report we describe a patient with end-stage liver disease and biopsy-proven hepatitis C-associated glom erulonephritis who underwent liver transplantation. Within 1 month aft er transplantation, he developed a severe nephrotic syndrome that para lleled a marked increase in viremia. We discuss the possible pathogeni c relationship between hepatitis C virus infection and the nephrotic s yndrome that followed liver transplantation.