Abstract:
Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of the following different treatment regimens for idiopathic membranous nephropathy(IMN):modified Ponticelli regimen (MPR, alternating therapy of hormone (Prednisone,Pre) combined with Cyclophosphamide (CTX), prednisone combined with CTX (Pre/CTX) and prednisone combined with Tacrolimus (Pre/TAC).
Methods A total of 67 patients diagnosed with IMN by kidney biopsy from the 2
nd Hospital of Jilin University were analyzed on their clinical information about urine protein and albumin. Based on the treatment regimens, they were divided into MPR group, Pre/CTX group and Pre/TAC group. All the patients were treated for 6 months. We observed clinical efficacy in the three groups for 3-month and 6-month treatment, and monitored adverse reactions during the treatment course.
Results No significant difference was observed at baseline before treatment. After 3-month treatments, in the MPR group, 8 (34.7%) of 23 patients reached partly remission and the effectiveness rate is 34.7%; in the Pre/CTX group, 1 (4.2%) of 24 patients died, 1 (4.2%) reached complete remission, 8 (33.3%) reached partly remission and the effectiveness rate is 37.5%; and in the Pre/TAC group, 8 (40.0%) of 20 Pre/TAC group patients reached partly remission and the effective rate is 40.0%. The above results in the three groups have no statistical difference. After 6-months treatments, in the MPR group, 1 (4.3%) of 23 patients died, 1 (4.3%) of the rest 22 patients reached complete remission, 12 (52.2%) reached partly remission and the effectiveness rate is 56.5%; in the Pre/CTX group, 2 (8.7%) of the rest 23 patients reached complete remission, 17 (73.9%) reached partly remission and the effective rate is 82.6%; and in the Pre/TAC group, 1 of 20 patients (5.0%) reached complete remission, 12 (60.0%) reached partly remission and the effective rate is 65.0%. The results in the 3 groups have no statistical difference. MPR had less adverse reactions during the treatments.
Conclusions MPR, Pre/CTX and Pre/TAC regimens have comparable effectiveness for IMN; the MPR regimen is characterized by short treatment course and less prednisone accumulation dose, and so may have a high level of safety.