[Membranous nephropathy: New insights in therapeutic approach]

Membranous nephropathy is one of the leading causes of nephrotic syndrome in adults, evolving to 30 % end-stage renal disease after 10 years, in the absence of specific treatment. In 2009, the M-type phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R), a podocyte membrane glycoprotein, was identified as the first autoantigen involved in more than 70 % of primitive membranous nephropathy. Many studies have reported that high titers of PLA2R antibodies are correlated with a lower risk of spontaneous or immunosuppressant-induced remission, a higher risk of nephrotic syndrome and of progression to end-stage renal disease. Treatment is still challenging and controversial because of potential toxicity and lack of a reliable prognosis marker. In the past, the 2012 Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) clinical practice guidelines recommended immunosuppressive therapies as steroids and alkylating agents or cyclosporine in patients with persistent nephrotic syndrome or impaired renal function. Recent studies and one multicentric randomised controlled trial brought clear evidence to support the use of rituximab in these patients: rituximab regimen induces immunological and clinical remission in patients with membranous nephropathy, with a high safety profile. However, they have provided important data on the impact of PLA2R antibodies assessment as a prognostic biomarker in patients with membranous nephropathy. The next step will be the integration of this biomarker in KDIGO guidelines and the recommendation of rituximab as a first line immunosuppressive therapy in patient with persistent nephrotic syndrome due to membranous nephropathy.