[A case of acute hepatitis A associated with acute renal failure from the onset]

A 42-year-old female was admitted to a hospital, because of acute hepatitis A. Laboratory data were GOT 8210mU/ml. GPT 4650mU/ml, LDH 11860mU/ml, total bilirubin 4.7mg/dl, BUN 19.5mg/dl and creatinine 1.9mg/dl. Urinalysis showed proteinuria 3+ and occult blood 1+. Soon after admission, she suffered from anuric acute renal failure and was transferred to our hospital for hemodialysis. Her urine-volume was under 20 ml per day. Urinalysis showed proteinuria 4+, occult blood 1+ and casts. Laboratory data showed BUN 58.2mg/dl and creatinine 8.5mg/dl. She was treated by hemodialysis for 35 days, before recovering from renal failure. However, her renal function did not recover perfectly and her 24-hour creatinine clearance remained at 50ml/min after 6 months. Renal biopsy was performed on the 17th day after admission. Examination by light microscopy revealed the findings of acute tubular necrosis and examination by immunofluorescence antibody method was negative. Urinalysis of 8 patients with acute hepatitis A showed that all patients had proteinuria at the onset. Patients with acute hepatitis A have symptoms of appetite-loss, nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea. These symptoms cause hypovolemia, and hepatic dysfunction causes discontrol of vasoactive hormones, which gives rise to disturbance of renal circulation. Subsequently, acute tubular necrosis and acute renal failure occur.