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Kidney disease in systemic lupus erythematosus
1National Institutes of Health, Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
Insights
Systemic lupus erythematosus patients with lupus nephritis benefit most from cyclophosphamide treatment. Intermittent pulse cyclophosphamide offers the best balance of efficacy and safety for managing this condition.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Rheumatology
- Immunology
Background:
- Glomerulonephritis significantly impacts patient outcomes in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
- Persistently active lupus nephritis presents risks of end-stage renal failure and cardiovascular disease.
- Corticosteroids offer uncertain benefits for lupus nephritis due to limited efficacy and cardiovascular risks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy and safety of different treatments for lupus nephritis.
- To determine the optimal therapeutic approach for proliferative lupus nephritis.
Main Methods:
- Review of controlled trials comparing corticosteroids, azathioprine, and cyclophosphamide.
- Analysis of treatment outcomes in patients with lupus nephritis.
Main Results:
- Cyclophosphamide demonstrated superior control of clinical activity in proliferative lupus nephritis compared to other agents.
- Intermittent pulse cyclophosphamide showed the most favorable efficacy-toxicity profile.
Conclusions:
- Cyclophosphamide is the preferred treatment for active proliferative lupus nephritis.
- Intermittent pulse cyclophosphamide represents the optimal therapeutic strategy for lupus nephritis management.
Abstract:
Glomerulonephritis is a major determinant of outcome in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Persistently active lupus nephritis imposes serious threats of end-stage renal failure and cardiovascular morbidity. Sustained corticosteroid treatment has been characterized as having an uncertain net benefit on the control of lupus nephritis, mainly because these drugs have relatively weak efficacy and they have been shown to confer their own set of cardiovascular risk factors. Controlled trials of corticosteroids, azathioprine and cyclophosphamide have demonstrated that the best control of clinical activity of proliferative lupus nephritis is attained with cyclophosphamide. To date, intermittent pulse cyclophosphamide treatment has produced the most favorable balance of efficacy and toxicity in patients with lupus nephritis.
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