Comparison of tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil in the treatment of refractory IgA nephropathy children / 中华肾脏病杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To observe the clinical efficacy of tacrolimus (TAC) and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) in children with refractory IgA nephropathy (IgAN).Methods:The diagnosis of refractory IgAN was defined as urinary protein level ≥ 50 mg·kg -1·d -1 after treatment with renin-angiotensin system (RAS) blocker and prednisone. Following the case-control matching method, 76 children with renal biopsy diagnosed as refractory IgAN in the Jinling Hospital from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2016 were retrospectively selected, and the children were divided into TAC group (38 cases) and MMF group (38 cases). The 24 h urinary protein quantity (24hUP), serum albumin (Alb), serum creatinine (Scr), serum uric acid (UA), serum glucose (Glu), adverse reactions and treatment effects were compared between the two groups. Results:There were no significant differences in the age, sex ratio, blood pressure, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), 24hUP, urine red blood cell count (U-RBC), Scr, Alb, BUN, aspartate transarninase (AST), alanine transarninase (ALT), Glu, pathological Oxford classification, and the proportions of big-dose methylprednisolone treatment before using immunosuppressants between the two groups (all P>0.05), and they were comparable. From 3 months after treatment, the 24hUP levels of the two groups were significantly lower than those of the baseline (all P<0.05), and the 24hUP levels of TAC group were lower than those of MMF group at 3, 6 and 12 months (all P<0.05). The Alb level of TAC group was significantly higher than the baseline value from 1 month of treatment ( P<0.05), while the Alb level in the MMF group was significantly higher from 3 months of treatment ( P<0.05). The Alb levels in the TAC group were higher than those in MMF group after 1, 3, and 6 month of treatment (all P<0.05), and there was no significant difference in Alb level at 12 months between the two groups. The total effective rate, complete remission rate and ineffectiveness rate of the TAC group all showed significant differences with the MMF group from 3 month of treatment (all P<0.05), but there was no difference between the two groups during the follow-up period of partial remission rate, point recurrence rate and cumulative recurrence rate (all P>0.05). The TAC group achieved the maximum effective rate at 6 months (94.7%), while the MMF group achieved the maximum effective rate at 12 months (68.4%), and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=8.756, P=0.003). The incidence of adverse reactions in two groups had not significant difference (15.8% vs 21.1%, χ2=0.350, P=0.554). However, the blood glucose of TAC group was higher than that of MMF group in the third month of treatment, and the difference was statistically significant [5.02(4.72, 5.22) mmol/L vs 4.42 (4.19, 5.07) mmol/L, Z=-2.745, P=0.006]. Conclusion:Both TAC and MMF in the treatment of refractory IgAN result in a good treatment effect in children, but the TAC reaches the response level faster and the response rate is higher.