EARLY-ONSET CHRONIC-RENAL-FAILURE AS A COMPLICATION OF ACUTE INTERMITTENT PORPHYRIA

  • 1 January 1983
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 52  (205) , 92-98
Abstract
In a retrospective survey of patients who have had a proven attack of acute intermittent porphyria (AIP) in West Scotland (UK) a highly significant association (P < 0.001) was observed between AIP and the development of early-onset chronic renal failure. Six patients with AIP and chronic renal failure arising in early middle-age are described. As no other cause could be attributed to the renal failure 3 possible causal links between these 2 conditions were considered, namely, enhanced susceptibility to analgesic nephropathy, porphyria-induced hypertension and nephrotoxic effects of porphyrins and their precursors. Probably, porphyria-induced hypertension is the most important factor in causing early-onset chronic renal failure in acute intermittent porphyria.