Diagnosis and Characteristics of Presentation of Tubulointerstitial Nephritis and Uveitis Syndrome During the COVID-2019 Pandemic

ABSTRACT

Purpose

To compare the diagnosis and clinical features of tubulointerstitial nephritis and uveitis syndrome (TINU) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

Retrospective chart review.

Results

Before the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2017 to March 2019), 1/561 (0.18%) new patient was diagnosed with TINU. During the pandemic (March 2020 to March 2022), 15/581 (2.58%) new patients were diagnosed with TINU. We found a significant increase in TINU cases during the pandemic (P=0.0005). Various posterior segment findings were observed in 2/3 (66.7%) patients before the pandemic and 13/15 (86.7%) patients during the pandemic, including disc edema, chorioretinal scars, disc leakage, and peripheral vascular leakage.

Conclusion

This is the first study reporting an increased number of TINU during the COVID-19 pandemic. With most of the American population now exposed to COVID-19, a large multi-center epidemiological study would be helpful to investigate any association of COVID-19 disease or vaccination with TINU in recent years.

KEY WORDS:

• COVID-19
• diagnosis and treatment
• pediatric uveitis
• tubulointerstitial nephritis and uveitis syndrome, TINU
• uveitis

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Elizabeth White, MS, for advice on statistical analyses.

Disclosure statement

PL consults for Bausch & Lomb and has consulted for Roche. EBS serves as a consultant to Roche/Genentech, EyePoint, Acelyrin, Gilead, Alumis and Kriya, and receives research funding from Roche/Genentech, EyePoint, Acelyrin, and Gilead. The remaining authors have no financial disclosures. PL has been supported by National Eye Institute Grant K08 EY022948, a Collins Medical Trust Grant, a Research to Prevent Blindness Career Development Award, and currently by the National Eye Institute grant R01 EY032882. EBS is supported by the Department of Veterans Affairs of the United States government.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, MD) [P30 EY010572] core grant, the Malcolm M. Marquis, MD Endowed Fund for Innovation, and an unrestricted grant from Research to Prevent Blindness (New York, NY) to Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University.