John T. Harrington, MD, MACP

Contact Information

Telephone number: 617-636-9439

Fax number: 617-636-8329

Email: jharrington@tuftsmedicalcenter.org

Titles 

Tufts Medical Center

Senior Nephrologist

Tufts University School of Medicine

Professor of Medicine and Dean Emeritus

Education

Undergraduate

AB magna cum laude, 1958
College of the Holy Cross, Worcester MA

Medical School

Doctorate in Medicine (MD) cum laude, 1962 
Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven CT

Training

North Carolina Memorial Hospital

Intern and Resident in Medicine, 1962-1965

New England Medical Center

Clinical and Research Fellow in Renal Diseases, 1965-1968.

Board Certification

ABIM, Diplomate in Internal Medicine, 1969

Interests

Dr. Harrington has been a part of the Nephrology Division at Tufts Medical Center since his fellowship training under Drs. William B. Schwartz and Jerome P. Kassirer in the 1960s. Now Dean Emeritus and Professor of Medicine at TUSM, Dr. Harrington focuses on outpatient care, in-patient consultation and medical education of nephrology fellows, internal medicine house staff and medical students. In December 2005, he completed 28 years as a founding co-editor of the Nephrology Forum, which had been published monthly in Kidney International, the journal of the International Society of Nephrology. His intellectual interests remain the broad field of clinical nephrology and specifically the arcane world of acid-base, fluid and electrolyte disturbances.

Selected Publications

Fordham CC, 3rd, Epstein FH, Huffines WD, Harrington JT: Polyarteritis and Acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis. Ann Intern Med 61:89-97, 1964.

Harrington JT, Sommers SC, Kassirer JP: Atheromatous emboli with progressive renal failure. Renal arteriography as the probable inciting factor. Ann Intern Med 68:152-160, 1968.

Harrington JT, Senior B: Recovery following 36 days of oliguria in a child with acute glomerulonephritis. Am J Dis Child 115:611-613, 1968.

Miller RB, Harrington JT, Ramos CP, Relman AS, Schwartz WB: Long-term results of steroid therapy in adults with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome. Am J Med 46:919-929, 1969.

Harrington JT, Lemann J, Jr.: The metabolic production and disposal of acid and alkali. Med Clin North Am 54:1543-1554, 1970.

Cohen AS, Briccetti AB, Harrington JT, Mannick JA: Renal transplantation in two cases of amyloidosis. Lancet 2:513-516, 1971.

Lewis EJ, Cavallo T, Harrington JT, Cotran RS: An immunopathologic study of rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis in the adult. Hum Pathol 2:185-208, 1971.

Mannick JA, Davis RC, Cooperband SR, Glasgow AH, Williams LF, Harrington JT, Cavallo T, Schmitt GW, Idelson BA, Olsson CA, Nabseth DC: Clinical use of rabbit antihuman lymphocyte globulin in cadaver-kidney transplantation. N Engl J Med 284:1109-1115, 1971.

Harrington JT, Cohen JJ: Clinical disorders of urine concentration and dilution. Arch Intern Med 131:810-825, 1973.

Lyons H, Pinn VW, Cortell S, Cohen JJ, Harrington JT: Allergic interstitial nephritis causing reversible renal failure in four patients with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome. N Engl J Med 288:124-128, 1973.

De Sousa RC, Harrington JT, Ricanati ES, Shelkrot JW, Schwartz WB: Renal regulation of acid-base equilibrium during chronic administration of mineral acid. J Clin Invest 53:465-476, 1974

Harrington JT, Cohen JJ: Acute oliguria. N Engl J Med 292:89-91, 1975.

Harrington JT, Cohen JJ: Measurement of urinary electrolytes - indications and limitations. N Engl J Med 293:1241-1243, 1975.

McCarron DA, Rubin RJ, Barnes BA, Harrington JT, Millan VG: Therapeutic bilateral renal infarction in end-stage renal disease. N Engl J Med 294:652, 1976.

Idelson BA, Smithline N, Smith GW, Harrington JT: Prognosis in steroid-treated idiopathic nephrotic syndrome in adults. Analysis of major predictive factors after ten-year follow-up. Arch Intern Med 137:891-896, 1977.

Kassirer JP, Harrington JT: Diuretics and potassium metabolism: a reassessment of the need, effectiveness and safety of potassium therapy. Kidney Int 11:505-515, 1977.

Rubin RJ, Pinn VW, Barnes BA, Harrington JT: Recurrent idiopathic membranous glomerulonephritis. Transplantation 24:4-9, 1977.

Kistin MG, Kaplan MM, Harrington JT: Diffuse ischemic colitis associated with systemic lupus erythematosus--response to subtotal colectomy. Gastroenterology 75:1147-1151, 1978.

Madias NE, Harrington JT: Platinum nephrotoxicity. Am J Med 65:307-314, 1978.

Widmer B, Gerhardt RE, Harrington JT, Cohen JJ: Serum electrolyte and acid base composition. The influence of graded degrees of chronic renal failure. Arch Intern Med 139:1099-1102, 1979.

Harrington JT: Alcohol, arsenic, and (rapidly) old kidneys. Arch Intern Med 140:167-168, 1980.

Zoller KM, Cho SI, Cohen JJ, Harrington JT: Cessation of immunosuppressive therapy after successful transplantation: a national survey. Kidney Int 18:110-114, 1980.

Homans DC, Blake GD, Harrington JT, Cetrulo CL: Acute renal failure caused by ureteral obstruction by a gravid uterus. Jama 246:1230-1231, 1981.

Cosyns JP, Pirson Y, Squifflet JP, Alexandre GP, van Ypersele de Strihou C, Pinn VW, Sweet SJ, Shapiro KS, Cho S, Harrington JT: De novo membranous nephropathy in human renal allografts: report of nine patients. Kidney Int 22:177-183, 1982.

Harrington JT, Kassirer JP: Renal vein thrombosis. Annu Rev Med 33:255-262, 1982.

Harrington JT: Chronic ambulatory peritoneal dialysis. N Engl J Med 306:670-671, 1982.

Harrington JT, Isner JM, Kassirer JP: Our national obsession with potassium. Am J Med 73:155-159, 1982.

Levey AS, Harrington JT: Continuous peritoneal dialysis for chronic renal failure. Medicine (Baltimore) 61:330-339, 1982.

Bornstein A, Gaasch WH, Harrington J: Assessment of the cardiac effects of hemodialysis with systolic time intervals and echocardiography. Am J Cardiol 51:332-335, 1983.

Hou SH, Bushinsky DA, Wish JB, Cohen JJ, Harrington JT: Hospital-acquired renal insufficiency: a prospective study. Am J Med 74:243-248, 1983.

Jennings AE, Levey AS, Harrington JT: Amoxapine-associated acute renal failure. Arch Intern Med 143:1525-1527, 1983.

Madaio MP, Harrington JT: Current concepts. The diagnosis of acute glomerulonephritis. N Engl J Med 309:1299-1302, 1983.

Harrington JT: Thrombolytic therapy in renal vein thrombosis. Arch Intern Med 144:33-34, 1984.

Harrington JT: Metabolic alkalosis. Kidney Int 26:88-97, 1984.

Shapiro KS, Pinn VW, Harrington JT, Levey AS: Immune complex glomerulonephritis in hydralazine-induced SLE. Am J Kidney Dis 3:270-274, 1984.

Kassirer JP, Harrington JT: Fending off the potassium pushers. N Engl J Med 312:785-787, 1985.

Ponce SP, Jennings AE, Madias NE, Harrington JT: Drug-induced hyperkalemia. Medicine (Baltimore) 64:357-370, 1985.

Harrington JT, Hulter HN, Cohen JJ, Madias NE: Mineralocorticoid-stimulated renal acidification: the critical role of dietary sodium. Kidney Int 30:43-48, 1986.

Garan H, McGovern BA, Canzanello VJ, McCauley J, Bodvarsson M, Harrington JT, Madias NE, Newell JB, Ruskin JN: The effect of potassium ion depletion on postinfarction canine cardiac arrhythmias. Circulation 77:696-704, 1988.

Foster MH, Sant GR, Donohoe JF, Harrington JT: Prolonged survival with a remnant kidney. Am J Kidney Dis 17:261-265, 1991.

Harrington JT: My three valves. N Engl J Med 328:1345-1346, 1993.

Harrington JT: Henoch-Schonlein Purpura. Case records of the Massachusetts General Hospital. 328;1345-46, 1993.

Madaio MP, Harrington JT: The diagnosis of glomerular diseases: acute glomerulonephritis and the nephrotic syndrome. Arch Intern Med 161:25-34, 2001.

Murthy K, Harrington JT, Siegal R: Profound hypokalemia in diabetic ketoacidosis: a therapeutic challenge. Endocrine Practice 11;331-4. 2005.

Selected Book Chapters

Chronic renal failure. J.T. Harrington in Current Therapy, Ed. H.F. Conn, WB Saunders, Philadelphia, 1977.

Disorders of potassium balance. Cohen, J.J. Gennari, F.J., Harrington, J.T. in The Kidney, 2nd Ed. BM Brenner & FC Rector, Jr. WB Saunders Co., Philadelphia, 1981.

Acid-Base. In collaboration with J.J. Cohen & J.P. Kassirer, Ed. Little Brown and Co., Boston, 1982.

a) Introduction to the Clinical Acid-Base Disturbances, Chapter 7 (with J.J. Cohen & J.P. Kassirer).
b) Metabolic Acidosis, Chapter 8 (with J.J. Cohen).
c) Metabolic Alkalosis, Chapter 9 (with J.P. Kassirer).
d) Mixed Acid-Base Disturbances, Chapter 12 (with J.J. Cohen and J.P. Kassirer).
e) Dialysis, Hypothermia, Blood Transfusion, Chapter 13 (with J.P. Kassirer).

Hypokalemia. Harrington, J.T. and A.S. Levey. In Bayless, T.M.,Brain, M.C., Cherniack, R.M., eds: Current Therapy in Internal Medicine. BC Decker, Inc. and In Glassock, R.J. ed.: Current Therapy in Nephrology and Hypertension. BC Decker, Inc., Philadelphia, 1076-82, 1984.

Laboratory evaluation of renal function. Kassirer, J.P., Harrington, J.T. in Diseases of the Kidney, 4th Edition. Edited by R.W. Schrier and C.W. Gottschalk. Little, Brown, and Company, Boston, 1988.

Diabetes. Daley J., Harrington, J.T. in Consultation in Internal Medicine; edited by Harrington, J.T. B.C. Decker, Inc., Toronto, Philadelphia, 1990. (Also revised for 2nd Edition, Mosby Yearbook, St. Louis, 1997.)

Evaluation of Serum electrolytes, creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen. Yager, H.M., Harrington, J.T. in The Principles and Practice of Nephrology; edited by H.R. Jacobson, G.E. Striker, and S. Klahr. B.C. Decker, Inc., Philadelphia, Hamilton, 1991.

Mixed acid-base disturbances. Harrington, J.T. and Madias, N.E. Therapy of Renal Disease and Related Disorders, 2nd edition. Edited by W.N. Suki and S.G. Massry. Martinus Nijhoff  Publishing, Boston, 1991.

Renal Artery Embolism and Thrombosis. Yager, H.M., Harrington, J.T. in Medicine for the Practicing Physician, 3rd Edition. Hurst, J.W. ed. Butterworth Publishers, Stoneham, MA, 1992.

Laboratory evaluation of renal function. Carlson J., Harrington, J.T. Diseases of the Kidney, 5th Edition.  Edited by R.W. Schrier and C.W. Gottschalk. Little, Brown and Company, Boston, 1993.

Assessment of the Patient with Renal Disease. Harrington J.T Caring for the Renal Patient, 3rd Edition, edited by D.Z. Levine, W.B. Saunders, Philadelphia, PA., 1997.

Treatment of Hypokalemia and Hyperkalemia. Narayan, G., Harrington, J.T., Strom, J.A. in Medical Management of Kidney and Electrolyte Disorders. Edited by F.J. Gennari, Marcel Dekker, 2001.

Awards and Honors

1977 Alpha Omega Alpha, Faculty Member

1974-76, 1978, 1980, 1983, 1986, 2005 Citation for Excellence in Teaching from Graduating Medical School Class, Tufts University School of Medicine

1991 Fellow (Honorary), Royal College of Physicians of Ireland

1993 Distinguished Faculty Award, Tufts University School of Medicine

1997 Outstanding Physician Award, National Kidney Foundation of MA and RI

1999 B.M.C. Durfree High School (Fall River, MA) Alumni Award

2000 American Physician Fellowship for Medicine in Israel Award

2001 Master, American College of Physicians

2002 North American Irish Nephrology Society Award

2006 and 2007 Who's who in the World

2007 Sanctae Crucis Alumni Award, College of the Holy Cross (for outstanding professional achievement)