Acute Interstitial Nephritis
Alternate Names : AIN
Acute interstitial nephritis is also called AIN. AIN is a condition in which there is damage to the tissue around the filtering
unit of the kidney. This can result in a sudden decline in the kidney function.
What is going on in the body?
In AIN, different types of white blood cells invade the filtering system of the kidney. This causes it to
swell. The rise in white blood cells is most often a result of an
allergic reaction to a medicine.
But it may also be caused by some infections. Most people who have AIN recover completely. But sometimes, scarring results. If that
happens, the kidney may have irreversible damage.
What are the causes and risks of the disease?
AIN may be caused by:
allergic reaction to certain medicines.
Examples include penicillin, cephalosporins, sulfa medicines, ibuprofen, thiazide, phenytoin, and cimetidine. A person who is exposed
over and over to the medicine that caused the AIN has a higher risk of infection.
autoimmune disorders, such as
systemic lupus erythematosus and
Sjogren syndrome
infection, such as pyelonephritis
or infection of the kidney, group A
streptococcal infection, diphtheria,
and mononucleosis
Sometimes the cause is unknown.
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