Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39964593›Full record

ArticleInfection2025

Primary HIV-1 infection presenting with nephrotic-range proteinuria and severe acute kidney injury mimicking imported Lassa fever.

Frieder Pfäfflin, Ralf Schindler, Miriam Songa Stegemann, Wolfgang Schneider, Leif Erik Sander, Philipp Enghard, Stephan Achterberg, Dirk Schürmann

Abstract readCase Reports
In one paragraph

Article in Infection, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Frieder PfäfflinDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Critical Care Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
Ralf SchindlerNierenzentrum Luckenwalde, Weststrasse 16, 14943, Luckenwalde, Germany.
Miriam Songa StegemannDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Critical Care Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
Wolfgang SchneiderDepartment of Pathology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Leif Erik SanderDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Critical Care Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
Philipp EnghardDepartment of Nephrology and Medical Intensive Care, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Stephan AchterbergDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Critical Care Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
Dirk SchürmannDepartment of Infectious Diseases and Critical Care Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany. dirk.schuermann@charite.de.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposePrimary HIV-1 infection (PHI) can present with protean clinical manifestations. We report a rare presentation of PHI that underscores that a high index of suspicion is required for diagnosis of PHI.

methodsWe report on a 54-yearold previously healthy woman of African descent who presented with sudden-onset nephrotic-range proteinuria and acute kidney injury (AKI) requiring hemodialysis in the setting of febrile multiple organ dysfunction syndrome. Both the epidemiological and clinical features initially pointed to imported Lassa fever, but this was ruled out. She was eventually diagnosed with PHI. We reviewed the literature for other patients who presented with PHI and AKI requiring hemodialysis.

resultsKidney biopsy evaluation, including conventional and electron microscopy, revealed minimal change disease (MCD) and diffuse tubular damage leading to AKI. To date, MCD has not been reported to be associated with PHI and severe AKI. A literature search revealed six additional cases of severe PHI-associated AKI requiring hemodialysis. In four cases, severe rhabdomyolysis with tubulotoxic myoglobinuria played the primary causative role, while in one case each AKI was associated with HIV-associated nephropathy (HIVAN) and hemolytic uremic syndrome, respectively.

conclusionsSevere AKI requiring hemodialysis is a rare manifestation of PHI and may be associated with several conditions, most commonly PHI-associated rhabdomyolysis with tubulotoxic myoglobinuria. Severe AKI in PHI may also occur as a complication of MCD manifesting with nephrotic-range proteinuria. PHI should be considered in the differential diagnosis in patients presenting with severe proteinuria and AKI in the setting of febrile multiple organ dysfunction syndromes, including hemorrhagic fever diseases.

Indexed as

Acute Kidney InjuryHIV-1HIV InfectionsLassa FeverProteinuriaDiagnosis, DifferentialFemaleHumansMiddle AgedRenal DialysisAcute kidney injuryHemodialysisMinimal change diseaseNephrotic-range proteinuriaPrimary HIV infection

Identifiers

PMID39964593
PMCPMC12137415

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.