RENAL-DISEASE IN LOIASIS AND ADVERSE REAC TION FOLLOWING IVERMECTIN TREATMENT

A patient with a filarial infection due to Loa loa, received single or al dose of ivermectin. A few hours after he has presented a severe ren al impairment. Native of the Cameroons, he was also treated for malari a. A renal biopsy has been done, because of chronic proteinuria, it ha s showed microfilariae in glomeruli, thickening of the basement membra ne and a segmental and focal mesangial hyalinosis. By immunofluorescen ce microscopy there were granular deposits of IgM and C3 along this me mbrane. Electron microscopy has showed subepithelial electron-dense de posits. This suggests hat the renal disease is immunologically induced . During the therapy adverse reactions seemed to be related with massi ve liberation of filarial antigens. This is well known with diethylcar bamazine but also now, sometimes with ivermectin.