Korean J Nephrol.  2008 Sep;27(5):600-605.

Two Cases of Nephrolithiasis Following Administration of Cyclosporine

• Park JY
• Ryu JH
• Ryu DR
• Kim SJ
• Kang DH
• Yoon KI
• Choi KB

Abstract

Cyclosporine is one of the most useful immunosuppressants for many diseases including nephrotic syndrome, glomerulonephritis, organ transplantation, and other autoimmune diseases. However, cyclosporine is known to cause renal tubular acidosis (RTA) due to a decrease in urinary ammonium excretion. Cyclosporine also can lead to significant hypocitraturia due to a higher proximal tubular reabsorption of citrate and increase the risk for nephrolithiasis. Citrate excretion is essential for the prevention of urinary supersaturation and hypocitraturia is a major risk factor for nephrocalcinosis and nephrolithiasis. Now we report two cases of nephrolithiasis treated with cyclosporine. The first patient is a renal transplantation recipient and the second patient has membranous glomerulonephritis. Therefore, these two cases lead us to conclude that patients treated with cyclosporine have to be regularly followed up for nephrolithiasis caused by cyclosporine-induced tubular dysfunction.

Keyword

Cyclosporine; Citrate; Nephrolithiasis; Nephrocalcinosis

MeSH Terms

Acidosis, Renal Tubular
Autoimmune Diseases
Citric Acid
Cyclosporine
Glomerulonephritis
Glomerulonephritis, Membranous
Humans
Immunosuppressive Agents
Kidney Transplantation
Nephrocalcinosis
Nephrolithiasis
Nephrotic Syndrome
Organ Transplantation
Quaternary Ammonium Compounds
Risk Factors
Transplants
Citric Acid
Cyclosporine
Immunosuppressive Agents
Quaternary Ammonium Compounds