title: Lovastatin in glomerulonephritis patients with hyperlipidaemia and heavy proteinuria.
abstract: Lovastatin, a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A inhibitor, was given to 14 patients with unremittent nephrotic syndrome (heavy proteinuria with hyperlipidaemia) for 6 months. Treatment was started at an initial dose of 20 mg/day, increasing to a maximum of 80 mg/day. Treatment was well tolerated except in two patients: one developed rhabdomyolysis and one severe hypertriglyceridaemia requiring an additional antihyperlipidaemic agent. Lovastatin was effective in reducing serum cholesterol, LDL-C and apolipoprotein B in the remaining 12 patients. Cholesterol was reduced by 31% from 8.24 +/- 0.49 mmol/l (mean +/- SEM) to 5.7 +/- 0.18 mmol/l after 6 months (P less than 0.001). LDL-C was normalized to 3.26 +/- 0.21 mmol/l from a pretreatment value of 5.76 +/- 0.48 mmol/l (P less than 0.001), a decrease of 43%. Serum apolipoprotein B was also normalized to 1.11 +/- 0.09 g/l from a basal level of 1.51 +/- 0.10 g/l (P less than 0.05). Triglyceride, HDL-C and apolipoprotein A1 concentrations were unchanged. Proteinuria as well as renal albumin clearance were unchanged. GFR by plasma radioisotope Cr-EDTA clearance for the whole group was unaltered by treatment. However, among those with relatively good pretreatment renal function (GFR greater than 70 ml/min per 1.73 m2), GFR increased at the end of 6 months' treatment (118.2 +/- 15 ml/min per 1.73 m2 versus 77.6 +/- 8.4 ml/min per 1.73 m2 in wash-out phase).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital.
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Yeung
authors.forename: I K
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Yeung
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Tsang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004361:Drug Tolerance; D005260:Female; D005921:Glomerulonephritis / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D006949:Hyperlipidemias / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015228:Hypertriglyceridemia / Q000139:chemically induced; D008148:Lovastatin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009404:Nephrotic Syndrome / Q000150:complications; D011507:Proteinuria / Q000150:complications; D012206:Rhabdomyolysis / Q000139:chemically induced
chemical_list: D008148:Lovastatin