Skip Navigation



NDT Advance Access published online on October 4, 2005

Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, doi:10.1093/ndt/gfi059
This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
20/11/2433    most recent
gfi059v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by El-Husseini, A.
Right arrow Articles by Sobh, M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by El-Husseini, A.
Right arrow Articles by Sobh, M.
Social Bookmarking
 Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of ERA-EDTA [2005].
Received March 22, 2005
Accepted July 13, 2005


Original Articles

Long-term effects of cyclosporine in children with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome: a single-centre experience

Amr El-Husseini 1, Fathy El-Basuony 1, Ihab Mahmoud 1, Hussein Sheashaa 1, Alaa Sabry 1, Rashad Hassan 1, Nohir Taha 1, Nabil Hassan 1, Nagy Sayed-Ahmad 1, and Mohamed Sobh 1*

1 Mansoura Urology and Nephrology Center and Mansoura University, Egypt

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Mohamed Sobh, E-mail: amr_2000_2002{at}yahoo.com



  Abstract

Background. Because of its potential nephrotoxicity, the long-term use of cyclosporine (CsA) as treatment for nephrotic syndrome (NS) is controversial. The clinical outcome of the patients with NS treated with CsA is unclear.

Methods. This study reports the results of long-term CsA treatment in 117 children with idiopathic NS, who received CsA therapy for more than 2 years (median, 34 months). The mean age of children at initiation of CsA therapy was 11±4 years. The starting dose of CsA was 5 mg/kg/day, adjusted to maintain a trough level of 100-150 ng/ml in the first 2 months, 50-100 ng/ml thereafter. Later, a level as low as 30 ng/ml was accepted so long as it maintained remission. All patients received CsA between 1993 and 2003. Indications for treatment included steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome (SDNS) in 74 patients and steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) in 43 patients. Initial renal histology showed minimal change disease (MCD) in 38 patients and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) in 79 patients. Most patients were receiving moderate doses of prednisone. Sixty patients received cyclophosphamide prior to CsA. The observation periods were 5.8±3 years and 6.1±1.9 years before and after CsA treatment, respectively.

Results. Complete remission [proteinuria <4 mg/h/m2/body surface area (BSA)], partial remission (proteinuria between 4.1 and 40 mg/h/m2/BSA) and resistance to CsA (proteinuria ≥45 mg/h/m2/BSA) were observed in 82.1, 5.1 and 12.8%, respectively. Hypertension, renal impairment (>30% rise of serum creatinine), gingival hyperplasia and hypertrichosis occurred in 10.3, 6.0, 32.5 and 70.1%, respectively. Steroids were stopped in 102 patients, of which 31 relapsed. Out of 29 patients for whom CsA was intentionally discontinued while in remission, 22 relapsed. Of these, six patients were resistant to a second course of CsA. Post-therapy biopsies, performed in 45 patients (33 with SDNS and 12 with SRNS), showed mild stripped interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy in two SDNS patients (4.4%). At the last follow-up, one child had developed end-stage renal failure and two had chronic renal insufficiency.

Conclusions. Long-term CsA therapy in low doses is effective in the treatment of children with idiopathic NS, but the rate of relapse is high after drug withdrawal. Hypertension developed in 10% of patients and renal insufficiency in 6% (most patients with FSGS).

Keywords: cyclosporine; long-term; nephrotic syndrome; pathology; treatment.
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
CJASNHome page
S.-W. Kengne, L. Massella, F.-C. Diomedi, A. Gianviti, M. Vivarelli, M. Greco, G. S. Rita, and F. Emma
Risk Factors for Cyclosporin A Nephrotoxicity in Children with Steroid-Dependant Nephrotic Syndrome
Clin. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol., September 1, 2009; 4(9): 1409 - 1416.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Nephrol Dial TransplantHome page
X. Li, H. Li, J. Chen, Q. He, R. Lv, W. Lin, Q. Li, X. He, L. Qu, and W. Suya
Tacrolimus as a steroid-sparing agent for adults with steroid-dependent minimal change nephrotic syndrome
Nephrol. Dial. Transplant., June 1, 2008; 23(6): 1919 - 1925.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]



Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.