Welcome Thom T!
I know that liver disease affects the kidneys, because we went through lots of testing and treatment for my fiance. Though I tried, I couldn't begin to explain it, so I started 'running' all over the net. Until today, I just couldn't find a thing worth reading.
Try googling Hepatorenal Syndrome. I'm not suggesting that this is your situation. But the underlying information about how liver disease affects blood flow to the kidneys might be what you are looking for. The articles from MedlinePlus are usually pretty good. ecureme.com has a decent article, as well.
Hope that helps and I am so sorry that it took me so long to find something.