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Effect of levamisole in steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome

Abbas Madani1, Seyed-Taher Isfahani, Nahid Rahimzadeh

  • 1Division of Pediatric Nephrology, Children Medical Center Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. dr_madani_ped@yahoo.com.

Iranian Journal of Kidney Diseases
|September 21, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Levamisole effectively reduces steroid dosage and relapse frequency in children with steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome. This study shows levamisole is a promising treatment for managing this condition.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nephrology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Childhood idiopathic nephrotic syndrome often presents with frequent relapses or steroid dependency.
  • Levamisole is frequently used for managing these challenging cases.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of levamisole in children diagnosed with steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective study of 304 children with steroid-dependent or frequently relapsing nephrotic syndrome.
  • Levamisole (2.5 mg/kg) was administered after achieving remission with steroid therapy.

Main Results:

  • Levamisole significantly decreased steroid dose (mean reduction from 0.39 ± 0.46 g to 0.33 ± 0.38 g) and the number of relapses (mean reduction of 0.92 ± 0.98 episodes/year).
  • A 14.5-month levamisole treatment demonstrated sensitivity and specificity in achieving >50% reduction in steroid dose and relapses.

Conclusions:

  • Levamisole demonstrates effectiveness in extending remission duration and reducing steroid requirements in pediatric steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome.

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