In general nephrology, HCV infection has been associated with type I membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN type I) associated with cryoglobulinaemia. In a cohort of 399 renal transplantation (RT) recipients, 117 of whom (29%) were HCV-positive, we selected all patients diagnosed as having membranous GN or type I MPGN by graft biopsy. The prevalence of MGN was 16/399 (4%) with three recurrences, and 13 de novo cases. Only 5/16 (31%) were HCV+, not different from the general RT population. Five patients had an outcome of graft failure after 43 months. Conversely, there were 15 cases of type I MPGN (two recurrences, 13 de novo) but with eight HCV+ recipients (53%, P = 0.02). Considering only the French patients, prevalence was 44% vs 12% in the French RT population (P = 0.006). Eight patients had graft rejection after 59 months (five HCV+). In this type I MPGN subgroup, there were two positive cryoglobulins, two rheumatoid factors and four hypocomplementaemias. In conclusion, there is a clear association between HCV infection and the occurrence of type I MPGN in the allograft in renal transplantation, with terminal renal failure as an outcome.

Recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEpo) seems to be more efficient when given subcutaneously (SC) instead of intravenously (IV) for therapy of anaemia in haemodialysis patients. This was a cross-over study designed to assess the efficiency of rHuEpo when given SC rather than IV in a 1 year follow-up. Sixteen patients received IV rHuEpo for 6 months, then SC rHuEpo for 6 months. They were four males and 12 females with a mean age of 56 years (range 15-82). Haemoglobin concentration ([Hb]) was kept at 10 g/dl and transferrin saturation (TS) at more than 25%. Mean [Hb] was 9.7 +/- 1.0 g/dl with IV rHuEpo and 9.9 +/- 0.9 g/dl with SC rHuEpo (NS). Transferrin saturation was 27% before rHuEpo, 31% with IV rHuEpo and 34% with SC rHuEpo (NS vs IV rHuEpo). Serum ferritin was 691 +/- 113 ng/ml before rHuEpo, 652 +/- 94 ng/ml with IV rHuEpo and 997 +/- 132 ng/ml with SC rHuEpo (P < 0.05 vs IV rHuEpo). Intact parathyroid hormone was 354 +/- 83 pg/ml before rHuEpo, 201 +/- 63 pg/ml with IV rHuEpo and 122 +/- 33 pg/ml with SC rHuEpo (NS vs IV rHuEpo). Doses of IV rHuEpo were 156 +/- 24 U/kg/week and SC rHuEpo 74 +/- 13 U/kg/week (i.e. a saving of 53%; P < 0.001). We conclude that subcutaneous administration of rHuEpo is twice as efficient as IV rHuEpo in patients with good functional iron reserve.

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