GLOMERULONEPHRITIS IN AUTOPSY CASES WITH HEPATITIS-C VIRUS-INFECTION

The glomerular changes of 188 consecutive autopsy cases with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection were studied. The glomerular changes were cla ssified as follows: Category I: membranoproliferative glomerulonephrit is (MPGN; 21 cases, 11.2%), 2) Category II: membranous nephropathy (MN ; 5 cases, 2.7 %), 3) Category III: mesangial proliferative glomerulon ephritis (MesGN; 33 cases, 17.6%), 4) Category IV: mesangial thickenin g type without proliferative mesangial cell (MT; 44 cases, 23.4%), and 5) Category V: almost normal glomeruli (85 cases, 45.2%), Glomerulone phritis was defined as glomeruli with an increase in mesangial matrix or a thickening of the capillary walls in the glomeruli; categories I- IV corresponded to glomerulonephritis in this study. Multivariate anal ysis, using a multiple logistic model, indicated that glomerulonephrit is with HCV infection was the most strongly correlated to the existenc e of esophagogastric varices, Abnormal urinalysis, that is transient o r continuous microhematuria or proteinuria, was observed in only 23 (1 2.2%) cases. These results showed that in HCV-RNA positive patients wi th esophagogastric varices the possibility of glomerulonephritis shoul d be considered.