Gross hematuria after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination: questionnaire survey in Japan

Background Recent clinical reports indicate a correlation between gross hematuria after the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination in patients with glomerulonephritis, especially immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN). Furthermore, healthcare workers in Japan were initially vaccinated with an mRNA vaccine from February 17, 2021, and some of them experienced gross hematuria after receiving the vaccination. Methods We conducted a web-based survey of the councilor members of the Japanese Society of Nephrology (581 members, 382 facilities) to elucidate the relationship between gross hematuria and COVID-19 vaccination. Results In the first survey, 27 cases (female: 22, 81.5%) of gross hematuria were reported after receiving a COVID-19 vaccination. Of them, 19 (70.4%) patients were already diagnosed with IgAN at the occurrence of gross hematuria. Proteinuria appeared in eight of the 14 (57.1%) cases with no proteinuria before vaccination and hematuria in five of the seven (71.4%) cases with no hematuria before vaccination. The second survey revealed that a renal biopsy was performed after vaccination in four cases, all of whom were diagnosed with IgAN. Only one case showed a slightly increased serum creatinine level, and no patients progressed to severe renal dysfunction. Conclusion This study clarified the clinical features of gross hematuria after a COVID-19 vaccination. Because there was no obvious progression to severe renal dysfunction, safety of the COVID-19 vaccination is warranted at least in the protocol of inoculation twice.