Therapy with interferon-alpha plus ribavirin for membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis induced by hepatitis C virus

We describe a treatment made with interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) plus ribavirin of two patients with membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) induced by hepatitis C virus (HCV): Case 1 was a 22-year-old woman with leg and facial edema, hypertension and proteinuria, whose liver biopsy revealed chronic active hepatitis; and Case 2 was a 42-year-old man with anasarca, hypertension and proteinuria, whose liver biopsy indicated cirrhosis. Both had anti-HCV, HCV-RNA and cryoglobulins. IFN-alpha (3 million units (MU), 3 times/week) and ribavirin (1 g/day) were administered for 12 months. The dru...