Renal transplantation in a patient with hypocomplementemic urticarial vasculitis syndrome

We describe a 36-year-old man who presented with hypocomplementemic urticar ial vasculitis syndrome (HUVS) with severe renal involvement. Despite stero id therapy, the patient developed end-stage renal disease (ESRD) leading to chronic hemodialysis therapy. Renal transplantation was performed after he modialysis therapy (secondary), and the patient developed a typical HUVS re lapse 9 months after transplantation despite conventional immunosuppressive therapy that was successfully treated with plasma exchange. This case show s for the first time that HUVS can induce severe renal involvement responsi ble for ESRD and that HUVS can relapse after renal transplantation. It also suggests that plasma exchange therapy may be of value for rapidly controll ing the clinical symptoms. (C) 2001 by the National Kidney Foundation, Inc.