ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To present our experience in the treatment of conventional therapy refractory nephrotic syndrome with cyclosporin A. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study sample included 22 patients (12 men, 10 women, aged 40.43 +/- 5.93 years). Twenty one patients were diagnosed histologically: 11 were with different histologic variants of chronic gtlomerulonephritis, 7 with lupus nephritis and 3 with renal amyloidosis. Sandimmun Neoral-Sandoz was given orally in a dose of 2-5 mg/kg/24 hours; mean duration of the course of treatment 41.4 +/- 12.4 days. In the course of treatment we followed quantitatively 24-hour proteinuria, diuresis, hematologic parameters, serum creatinine, transaminases, the fat profile, and creatinine clearance. RESULTS: The patients were allocated into 3 groups according to their response to treatment--in 5 patients (22.73%) it achieved complete clinical and laboratory remission, in 8 (36.36%)--partial remission and in 9 (40.91%) it failed. The 24-hour diuresis in the patients with complete and partial remission increased significantly during the third week of treatment (from 1212.5 +/- 114.7 to 2700 +/- 394.61, p < 0.05, t = 3.62). Proteinuria was reduced from 3.47 +/- 0.54 to 1.86 +/- 0.36 g/d (p < 0.05, t = 2.48) at the end of treatment. No substantial change in the antihypertensive therapy was necessary in any of the patients. There was no decline of the renal and liver functions. Neither allergic reactions nor serious side effects that may have caused discontinuation of treatment were observed. Complete or partial clinical and laboratory remission was achieved in 59.09% (13 patients) (confidence interval = 39.2%-78.9%, odds ratio = 0.95). Cyclosporin A therapy is an appropriate alternative in the treatment of refractory nephrotic syndrome in some of the immunologic glomerulopathies. The types of glomerulopathy that are best affected are minimal-change glomerulonephritis, some of the mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis cases and some forms of lupus nephritis. No effect whatsoever was found in cases with renal amyloidosis.
