Background: Chinese herbs nephropathy is a new type of subacute interstitial nephropathy reported in women who had followed a slimming regimen including Chinese herbs.
Methods: We report the clinical presentation and follow-up of 15 cases and compare them with a control group of 15 women with interstitial nephropathies of other origins, matched for age, sex, and initial serum creatinine (mean 3 mg/dl).
Results: At presentation the Chinese herbs nephropathy group differed from the control group by a lower proteinuria (P = 0.009), a more severe anaemia (P = 0.002), and a higher prevalence of aortic insufficiency (42% vs 0%, P < 0.05). It was further characterized by mild hypertension in 80%, glycosuria and leukocyturia in 40% and asymmetric kidneys in 54% of the cases. During follow-up, deterioration of renal function was faster in the Chinese herbs nephropathy than in the control group (P < 0.05). It was influenced by the duration of Chinese herbs treatment (P = 0.037) and the delay between the end of Chinese herbs ingestion and diagnosis of the disease (P = 0.013). In three cases, renal failure developed 3 years after Chinese herbs ingestion. Complications included severe aortic regurgitation requiring surgery (n = 1), urothelial carcinoma (n = 2), bilateral ureterohydronephrosis due to periureteral fibrosis (n = 1). Five patients with Chinese herbs nephropathy were successfully transplanted, without evidence of recurrence of the disease.
Conclusions: Chinese herbs nephropathy is characterized by a lower proteinuria, more severe anaemia, and a faster progression to renal failure than other interstitial nephropathies. The duration of Chinese herbs treatment and interval between withdrawal of Chinese herbs and diagnosis are correlated with the rate of progression. Severe, unusual extrarenal complications may affect Chinese herbs nephropathy patients.