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Updated: Aug 16, 2026

Subcutaneous Infection of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)
Published on: February 9, 2011
Interstitial nephritis caused by methicillin. Studies in a case complicating staphylococcal sepsis with acute
Abstract:
A 16-year-old student was admitted with acute, oliguric renal failure complicating staphylococcal sepsis. During treatment with methicillin drug hypersensitivity was suspected, and antibiotic was changed to vancomycin; by day 19 hemodialysis was discontinued. Renal biopsy showed two pathologic processes: acute exudative glomerulonephritis and widespread tubulointerstitial nephritis. In addition to glomerular immunoglobulin and C'3 deposits, interstitial and focal tubular basement membrane deposits of IgG were seen. Antiserum to DPO (methicillin) haptens localized apparently to the same tubular sites, as did fluorescein-conjugated antibodies from the patient's serum. The data suggest that interstitial nephritis was caused by serum antibodies to methicillin which bound to sites in renal tubules to which methicillin also had fixed. The acute tubulointerstitial nephritis complicated acute oliguric glomerulonephritis of staphylococcal sepsis.
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