THE JOURNAL OF ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE Volume 4, Number 1, 1998, pp. 9-13 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. Misuse of Herbal Remedies: The Case of an Outbreak of Terminal Renal Failure in Belgium (Chinese Herbs Nephropathy) JEAN-LOUIS VANHERWEGHEM, M.D., Ph.D. ABSTRACT At least 100 cases of extensive interstitial fibrosis of the kidneys were observed in Belgium in women who had followed a weight-loss regimen that included the use of Chinese herbs. The possible relation between the renal disease and these Chinese herbs was investigated. It was shown that the prescribed Chinese herb called Stephania tetrandra was, in fact, inad­ vertently replaced by another Chinese herb, namely Aristolochia fangchi in the powdered ex­ tracts delivered in Belgium and in France. The development of renal disease in about 100 pa­ tients exposed to the so-called Stephania tetrandra stresses the need for more stringent control of herbal medicine. INTRODUCTION tween the renal disease and these Chinese herbs was thus investigated and established In early 1992, two women, younger than 50(But , 1993; Van Haelen et al., 1994; Schmeiser years old, presented to us with extensive in­ et al., 1996). The development of the renal dis­ terstitial fibrosis of the kidney without ease in about 100 patients exposed to the so- glomerular lesions that rapidly progressed to called Stephania tetrandra stresses the need for terminal renal failure (Vanherweghem et al., better control of herbal medicine. 1993). These women, who had no previous his­ tory of renal disease, had followed, just before the renal disease, the same weight-loss regimen DESCRIPTION OF CHINESE in the same medical clinic. This clinic special­ HERBS NEPHROPATHY ized in weight-loss regimens for more than 15 years and no renal problems had been previ­ Epidemiology ously encountered. Interestingly, this diet reg­ imen consisted of a preparation containing a The exact number of patients exposed to Chi­ mixture of acetazolamide, fenfluramine, and nese herbs in Belgium is not known exactly. As­ various animal and vegetal extracts was suming that the incriminated herbs have been changed in mid-1990 by introducing powdered distributed in Belgium from May 1990 to Oc­ extracts of Chinese herbs, nominally Stephania tober 1992 (Vanherweghem et al., 1993), that tetrandra and Magnolia officinalis (Vanher­ the yearly amount of distribution was 185 to weghem et al., 1993). The possible relation be­ 200 kg of powders for under the name of Department of Nephrology, Hopital Erasme, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium. 9 10 VANHERWEGHEM Stepiiania tetrandra (Vanherweghem et al., 1993) in approximately one-third of the patients (Van and that the mean exposure per patient aver­ Ypersele and Vanherweghem, 1995). aged 900 mg of powder per day for 6 to 12 In most of the cases, renal failure progressed months (Depierreux et al., 1994), about 1500 to despite the fact that the Chinese herbs had been 2000 persons may be assumed to have absorbed withdrawn, plasma creatinine raising from 2.5 such an amount of so-called Stephania tetrandra mg/dL to 8.5 mg/dL for a period of time rang­ powder. About 100 patients with renal disease ing from 6 to 24 months. Interestingly, steroid were recorded, thus representing about 5% of therapy was shown to slow the progression of the exposed population. The first patient the disease (Vanherweghem et al., 1996). recorded by an a posteriori epidemiological sur­ The major pathological lesion consisted of an vey was already on dialysis in April 1991. One extensive interstitial fibrosis with atrophy and patient was recorded in August 1997, despite loss of the tubules, predominantly located in the fact that the incriminated herbs had been the superficial cortex. The glomeruli were rel­ withdrawn from the market in October 1992. atively spaced. They nevertheless showed mild All patients except one, recorded to now were collapse of the capillaries and wrinkling of the women, aged from 18 to 65 years old. Thirty basement membrane. Interlobular and afferent percent of the patients apparently had stable, arterioles showed thickening of their walls due moderate renal failure with a plasma creatinine to a swelling of the endothelial cells (Depier­ below 3.0 mg/dL, and 70% of patients were in reux et al. 1994; Cosijns et al., 1994a). Mild to preterminal or terminal renal failure, treated by moderate atypia and atypical hyperplasia of maintenance dialysis or renal grafting. the urothelium was also observed in pieces of nephrectomies (Cosijns et al., 1994a). Fibrosis could also extend to the pelvis and the ureters Clinical and pathological aspects (Cosijns et al., 1994a; Jadoul et al., 1993). Renal failure was usually not suspected and Two published cases (Cosijns et al., 1994b; was discovered in most cases by routine blood Vanherweghem et al., 1995) were also compli­ testing. Dipstick analysis for proteinuria was cated by microinvasive urothelial carcinomas. negative and urinary sediment was unremark­ able (Vanherweghem et al., 1993; Van Ypersele Relations between the renal disease and and Vanherweghem, 1995). However, micro- Chinese herhs proteinuria was an hallmark of the disease: uri­ nary excretion of five low-molecular weight The time between the introduction of Chi­ proteins (beta2-microglobulin, cystatin C, Clara nese herbs in the weight-loss regimen and the cell protein, retinal binding protein) was in­ outbreak of renal disease circumscribed the creased in all Chinese herbs nephropathy search for the culprit to the Chinese herbs (CHN) patients with renal failure in relation to (Vanherweghem et al., 1993). Further epi­ the degree of renal failure (Kabanda et al. 1995). demiological survey demonstrated that only Urinary excretion of neutral endopeptidase the so-called Stephania tetrandra was associ­ used as a marker of the proximal tubular mass ated with all cases (Depierreux et al., 1994). was markedly decreased, also in relation to the The fact that tetrandrine, the alkaloid derived degree of renal failure (Nortier et al. 1997). from Stephania tetrandra could not be identi­ Taken together, these markers indicate that fied in the capsules taken by the patients sug­ proximal tubular cells were a primary target in gested that this herb might have been replaced CHN. by another toxic vegetal (Vanherweghem et Blood pressure was initially normal in half al., 1993). Inadvertent replacement of Stepha­ of the patients (Van Ypersele and Vanher­ nia tetrandra was suspected because: (1) weghem, 1995). Anemia was present and usu­ Stephania tetrandra belongs the family of Fang- ally more severe than might be anticipated ji besides Aristolochia Fang-ji (Vanherweghem from the degree of renal failure (Van Ypersele et al., 1993). Moreover, the Chinese characters and Vanherweghem, 1995). Curiously, asymp­ and pinyin name of Stephania tetrandra (Fang tomatic aortic insufficiency was demonstrated ji) are identical to that of Aristolochia fangchi. MISUSE OF HERBAL REMEDIES 11 In China, the differentiation is made by pre­ renal tissues of control cases (Schmeiser et al., fixing the name Fang ji either with the epithet 1996). Guang for Aristolochia fangchi or Han for Stephania tetrandra. Obviously, the risk of con­ fusion is considerable in Western markets; and DISCUSSION (2) pathological aspects of CHN is very simi­ lar to that of Balkan endemic nephropathy An extensive interstitial renal fibrosis re­ (BEN) (Vanherweghem et al., 1993; Depier­ sponsible for terminal renal failure, compli­ reux et al., 1994; Cosijns et al., 1994a) the cause cated in some cases by urotheliomas may thus of which is still under controversies, but some be related to the use of Chinese herbs for suggested causes include fungal and plant weight loss. It was shown that the prescribed toxins such as ochratoxin A and aristolochic Chinese herb called Stephania tetrandra was, in acids (Stephanovic and Polenakovic, 1991). fact, inadvertantly replaced by another Chinese Ochratoxin A was not found in the capsules herb, namely Aristolochia fangchi, in the pow­ taken by the patients (Vanherweghem et al., dered extracts delivered in Belgium and 1993). A first attempt to identify aristolochic France. Aristolochia species indeed contain aris­ acids in the capsules taken by the patients tolochic acids that are nephrotoxics (De Smet, failed (Vanherweghem et al., 1993). Later, 1992; Jackson et al., 1964) and carcinogens (De the prepurification steps required by the Smet, 1992; Mengs, 1988). Recently, a rapidly complex formulation of the capsules were progressive interstitial renal fibrosis was ob­ shown to partially destroy aristolochic acids. served in Spain secondary to a chronic intake Further analyses conducted on different of a Aristolochia pistolochia infusion (Pena et al., batches of powders delivered in Belgium un­ 1996). In the cases observed in Belgium, it is der the name of Stephania tetrandra showed possible that the nephrotoxic effects of Aris­ that in fact, most of them did not contain tolochia were increased by the combination of tetrandrine but aristolochic acids (But, 1993; other drugs such as acetazolamide or fenflu­ Van Haelen et al., 1994). The aristolochic acid ramine. The puzzling association of valvular content of the so-called Stephania powder var­ heart disease in about one-third of the cases ied from undetectable to 2.9 mg/g (Van Hae­ may more likely be linked to the concomitant len et al., 1994). Investigations conducted on use of fenfluramine than to the Chinese herbs a larger scale of 46 batches of "Stephania" (Connolly et al. 1997; Vanherweghem, 1997). powders distributed in Belgium show that 30 The mistake observed in Belgium was or will of them contained aristolochic acids and not be responsible for terminal renal failure in at tetrandrine; 7 of them contained tetrandrine least 70 w^omen who simply wanted to lose and not aristolochic acids; 5 of them contained weight. This disaster emphasizes that the med­ both tetrandrine and aristolochic acids; and 4 ical professions has the responsibility to keep of them did not contain either tetrandrine or in mind that the cornerstone of medicine is the aristolochic acid (P.