Crescentic glomerulonephritis associated with non-tuberculous mycobacteria infection

A 72-year-old woman with a previous diagnosis of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) pulmonary disease was admitted because of hemoptysis and acute renal failure. A chest x-ray showed interstitial infiltration over bilateral lung fields. A kidney biopsy showed immune complex-mediated crescentic glomerulonephritis and diffuse endocapillary hypercellularity with exudative neutrophils. Reactive NTM infection of the lungs was suspected when mycobacterial cultures of the sputum repeatedly yielded Mycobacterium avium. A lung biopsy revealed chronic inflammation without evidence of alveolar capillaritis. NTM pulmonary disease was further confirmed by tissue culture of the lung biopsy specimens. Anti-tuberculous drugs in combination with clarithromycin were given for the treatment of NTM infection. Because of the risk of aggravating underlying infectious disease, immunosuppressive therapy for crescentic glomerulonephritis was not carried out. Pulmonary symptoms promptly responded to treatment. Furthermore, renal function steadily improved after the initiation of anti-NTM therapy. To our knowledge, this is the first report of crescentic glomerulonephritis associated with NTM infection.