ASN's Mission

To create a world without kidney diseases, the ASN Alliance for Kidney Health elevates care by educating and informing, driving breakthroughs and innovation, and advocating for policies that create transformative changes in kidney medicine throughout the world.

learn more

Contact ASN

1401 H St, NW, Ste 900, Washington, DC 20005

email@asn-online.org

202-640-4660

The Latest on X

Kidney Week

Abstract: TH-PO0080

Granulomatous Interstitial Nephritis Associated with Adalimumab Therapy

Session Information

Category: Acute Kidney Injury

  • 102 AKI: Clinical, Outcomes, and Trials

Author

  • Alghamdi, Naif A., Security Forces Hospital Program, Riyadh, Riyadh Province, Saudi Arabia
Introduction

We report the case of a patient with rheumatoid Arthritis who developed Granulomatous interstitial nephritis after being treated with adalimumab, managed with steroid and stop treatment

Case Description

67 years old, female, with a background of rheumatoid arthritis Referred with gradual increase of Serum creatinine from a baseline of 60 μmol/L (0.68 mg/dL) to 150 μmol/L ( 1.7 mg/dL). His only medication was adalimumab that he had been taking every week for the last 12 months. She had no history of any clinicall symptomes.Her laboratory test results showed : serum creatinine, 150 µmol/L; urea, 12.5 mmol/L. Urine analysis revealed white blood cells 20-30/HPF, 5-10/HPF red blood cells, with no proteins or bacteria. The Albumin creatinine ratio level was 10 mg/g. All other labs including are negative. The biopsy showed a tubulointerstitial compartment is extensively infiltrated by a mononuclear cell infiltrate with frequent foci of tubulitis. At least 2 large non-necrotising granulomatous foci are seen. Routine stains for fungi, bacteria and acid-fast bacilli are negative. Adalimumab was stopped and oral prednisolone started at 1 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks then taper down over 12 weeks to 5 mg then stopped and the last serum creatinine level after 4 months of discontinuation of Adalimumab was stable on 111 µmol/L

Discussion

Granulomatous interstitial nephritis is rare pathological entity of acute or chronic interstitial nephritis. Adalimumab induced granulomatous interstitial nephritis reported in very few cases published in literatures. Interesting findings in our case characterized by only asymptomatic rising of serum creatinine with absence of other clinical features suggesting the importance of a low threshold for kidney biopsy in patients presenting with renal impairment after starting adalimumab.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)