Causes
Common causes include infection, or reaction to medication such as an analgesic, anti-inflammatory, or antibiotics such as methicillin (meticillin). Reaction to medications causes 71% to 92% of cases. Drugs
This disease is also caused by other diseases and toxins that damage the kidney. Both acute and chronic tubulointerstitial nephritis can be caused by a bacterial infection in the kidneys known as pyelonephritis, but the most common cause is by an adverse reaction to a medication. The medications that are known to cause this sort of reaction are β-lactam antibiotics such as penicillin
and cephalexin, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (aspirin less frequently than others), as well as proton-pump inhibitors, rifampicin, sulfa medications, fluoroquinolones, diuretics, allopurinol, mesalamine, and phenytoin. The time between exposure to the drug and the development of acute tubulointerstitial nephritis can be anywhere from 5 days to 5 months (fenoprofen-induced). Diagnosis
The condition can appear without symptoms. When present they may appear widely varied and can occur rapidly or gradually.When caused by an allergic reaction, the symptoms of acute tubulointerstitial nephritis are fever (27% of patients), rash (15% of patients), and enlarged kidneys. Some people experience dysuria, and lower back pain. In chronic tubulointerstitial nephritis the patient can experience symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and weight loss. Other conditions that may develop include a high concentration of potassium in the blood, metabolic acidosis, and kidney failure. Blood tests
About 23% of patients have a high level of eosinophils in the blood. Urinary findings
Urinary findings include:

Eosinophiluria: Original studies with Methicillin-induced AIN showed sensitivity of 67% and specificity of 83%.
Features included hypoplastic lungs, cleft palate, retrognathia, micrognathism, small thorax, diaphragmatic hernia, distal limb hypoplasia, and early onset of polyhydramnios with premature delivery. Schwyzer et al. (1987) described an affected infant whose parents were second cousins. Moerman et al. (1988) described infant brother and sister with the syndrome of diaphragmatic hernia, abnormal face, and distal limb anomalies. Both died shortly after birth with severe respiratory distress. Ultrasonography demonstrated fetal hydrops, diaphragmatic hernia, and striking dilatation of the cerebral ventricles in both infants. Post-mortem examination showed Dandy–Walker malformation, ventricular septal defect, and renal cystic dysplasia. Cunniff et al. (1990) described affected brothers and 3 other cases, bringing the total reported cases of Fryns syndrome to 25. One of the affected brothers was still alive at the age of 24 months. Bilateral diaphragmatic hernias had been repaired on the first day of life. He required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy for 5 days and oscillatory therapy for 3 months. Ventriculoperitoneal shunt was required because of slowly progressive hydrocephalus. Scoliosis was associated with extranumerary vertebral bodies and 13 ribs. Because of delayed gastric emptying, a gastrostomy tube was inserted. In addition, because of persistent chylothorax, he underwent decortication of the right lung and oversewing of the thoracic duct. Kershisnik et al. (1991) suggested that osteochondrodysplasia is a feature of Fryns syndrome. Willems et al. (1991) suggested that a diaphragmatic hernia is not a necessary feature of Fryns syndrome.