Glomerulonephritis associated with arteritis in marmosets infected with hepatitis A virus.

Seven of 8 marmosets (Saguinus oedipus and Saguinus labiatus) injected i.v. with different inocula of hepatitis A virus isolated from patients in the acute phase of disease developed proliferative glomerulonephritis associated with arteritis. The glomerulonephritis was characterized by immunofluorescent and electron-dense deposits and hypercellularity. Although no antigenic component of the glomerular immune complex was detected, this glomerulonephritis and arteritis may be diagnosed morphologically as an immune complex disease. These findings show the possibility of the appearance of exohepatic disease as an immunologically mediated disease in human hepatitis A virus infection.