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Intravenous hydroxocobalamin and crystal nephropathy

Nature Reviews Nephrology volume 13, page 593 (2017)Cite this article

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We read with great interest the excellent review by S. R. Mulay and H.-J. Anders on crystal nephropathies (Crystal nephropathies: mechanisms of crystal-induced kidney injury. Nat. Rev. Nephrol. 13, 226–240; 2017)1. The authors list vitamin C as a cause of oxalate nephropathy, but do not mention the potential role of vitamin B12 in this disease.

We recently reported cases of oxalate nephropathy after administration of the injectable form of vitamin B12, hydroxocobalamin, in critically ill patients with burns and smoke inhalation injury2. The FDA has approved hydroxocobalamin for the treatment of cyanide poisoning. This agent chelates cyanide to form cyanocobalamin, which is excreted by the kidney.

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References

  1. Mulay, S. R. & Anders, H.-J. Crystal nephropathies: mechanisms of crystal-induced kidney injury. Nat. Rev. Nephrol. 13, 226–240 (2017).

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  2. Legrand, M. et al. Risk of oxalate nephropathy with the use of cyanide antidote hydroxocobalamin in critically ill burn patients. Intensive Care Med. 42, 1080–1081 (2016).

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  3. EMD Serono, A Division of EMD Inc., Canada. CYANOKIT® Product Monograph https://www.inspq.qc.ca/sites/default/files/toxicologie-clinique/bit/hydroxocobalamine_emd_20101217.pdf (2010).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care and Burn Unit, AP-HP, Hôpital St-Louis, 1 Avenue Claude Vellefaux, Paris, 75010, France

    Matthieu Legrand

  2. AP-HP, Hepatology, Hôpital Cochin, 27 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Jacques, Paris, 75014, France

    Vincent Mallet

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  1. Matthieu Legrand
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  2. Vincent Mallet
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Correspondence to Matthieu Legrand.

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Legrand, M., Mallet, V. Intravenous hydroxocobalamin and crystal nephropathy. Nat Rev Nephrol 13, 593 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneph.2017.110

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