Necrotizing arteritis in a human immunodeficiency virus-infected patient with lupus-like glomerulonephritis

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated lupus-like glomerulonephritis (GN) is a chronic immune complex disease occurring in HIV-infected patients. Although the light, immunofluorescence, and electron microscopy findings indicate features of lupus nephritis, no evidence of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is observed in the affected patients. We present the case of a 45-year-old Caucasian woman with HIV infection who was admitted to the hospital with a nephrotic syndrome 10 years after the HIV diagnosis. A renal biopsy revealed HIV-associated lupus-like GN and necrotizing arteritis affecting two interlobular arteries. Necrotizing arteritis is a type of renal vasculopathy associated with SLE, but has not been reported previously in HIV-associated lupus-like GN. In this case, necrotizing arteritis was found to be a histological feature common to both HIV-associated lupus-like GN and SLE. This histological finding reinforces the resemblance between HIV-associated lupus-like GN and nephritis caused by lupus.