Idiopathic Membranous Nephropathy and Treatment Related Complications

Idiopathic Idiopathic membranous nephropathy (iMN) is an immune-complex mediated renal disease which is usually associated with the nephrotic syndrome (NS). The course of the disease is variable. Some patients maintain normal kidney function with or without a spontaneous remission of proteinuria, while others progress to end-stage renal failure or die from complications related to the nephrotic syndrome. Whether or not to treat a patient with idiopathic membranous nephropathy is still controversial. The controversy is mainly related to the toxicity of the therapy and the variable natural course of the disease-spontaneous remission occurs in 40-50% of patients.

The aim of this study was to describe our experience of treatment of an idiopathic membranous nephropathy (iMN), efficacy and complications rate.

Our patient was older, mail gender, in high-risk group with persistent proteinuria 10,68 g/day and stable renal function. We have taken these factors into consideration, along with age and other comorbidities, that may significantly elevate the risk of treatment. We chose to start with early treatment, following the Ponticelli's group protocol based on high dose corticosteroids (odd months) alternating with clorambucil (even months) for six months. This treatment was accompanied by the steroid side effects, including hyperglycaemia dependance on insulin therapy and pulmonary thromboembolism despite administered prophylactically low molecular weight heparin. The six-month treatment was successfully completed with the reduction of proteinuria to nephritic values 2,86 g/day, despite many complications. Complete remission of the disease with non-significant proteinuria and with stable renal function was achieved in 14 months which has been maintained for 2 years.

We suggest that decisions on the timing of start of therapy, whom to treat, best sequence of the use of the various immunosuppressive drugs must be based on an individualized assessment of risks and benefits.