In the NEWS: Atypical parvovirus causing interstitial fibrosis and AKI

An interesting pathology study just got published in Cell.  It describes an atypical parvovirus infection in the kidney presenting as interstitial disease and fibrosis. Classically, the three lesions that have been described with parvovirus B19 infection are collapsing GN, FSGS and Minimal change disease. Both native kidneys and post transplant cases have been described.

In this study, using metagenomics, the authors identified a spontaneous nephropathy with intranuclear inclusions and the causative agent as an atypical virus, termed “mouse kidney parvovirus” (MKPV), belonging to a divergent genus of Parvoviridae. Detailed analysis of the clinical course and histopathological features demonstrated a stepwise progression of pathology ranging from sporadic tubular inclusions to tubular degeneration and interstitial fibrosis and culminating in AKI. 

Below is the visual abstract of the study from the journal abstract.

Courtesy: Journal Article from Cell

This study highlights an interstitial inclusion type nephritis associated with parvovirus in mice. While clinically, to my knowledge, interstitial nephritis like this has not been reported with parvovirus.

A recent online discussion on twitter regarding this paper is linked below.

Fellow nephrons have you seen inclusion body nephritis in mice?
An Atypical Parvovirus Drives Chronic Tubulointerstitial Nephropathy and Kidney Fibrosis https://t.co/afcgYrILuV pic.twitter.com/ffa0wYnXZ8

— Katalin Susztak (@KSusztak) September 14, 2018

Conceptually we have always known that in humans viruses can induce kidney disease and fibrosis such as seen in BK, CMV, Parvovirus and so forth. This is definitely worth studying in humans.