title: Intravenous "pulse" cyclophosphamide therapy of crescentic glomerulonephritis.
abstract: Pulse steroids and monthly intravenous cyclophosphamide with a rapid steroid taper were used to treat seven patients with crescentic glomerulonephritis. Despite major impairment of renal function, all patients had a marked improvement in GFR by six months and improvement in proteinuria occurred in six of the seven patients. Two patients were able to discontinue dialysis. The doses of steroids and cyclophosphamide used were less than in comparable studies and side-effects of therapy were minimal. Repeat renal biopsies at over one year demonstrated marked glomerulosclerosis despite relatively stable renal function. Histologic analysis of total glomerular involvement indices on serial biopsies suggested no recruitment of new glomeruli into the crescenteric process once treatment had been initiated. Thus, intravenous pulse cyclophosphamide with pulse steroid therapy appears to be a safe and effective initial therapy for some patients with RPGN. Significant glomerulosclerosis on repeat biopsies suggests that glomerulosclerosis may be predetermined by the initial degree of irreversible glomerular damage and that the long-term course of the disease remains guarded.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Kunis
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kiss
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: D'Agati
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Appel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D005921:Glomerulonephritis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007678:Kidney Glomerulus / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008776:Methylprednisolone Hemisuccinate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D011507:Proteinuria / Q000652:urine; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012598:Sclerosis / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D008776:Methylprednisolone Hemisuccinate; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D003404:Creatinine