title: Long-term outcome of patients with membranous nephropathy after complete remission of proteinuria.
abstract: To assess the prognostic significance of complete remission in patients with idiopathic membranous nephropathy, 33 patients were followed for a median of 96 months after remission of proteinuria. All patients had had a histological diagnosis of membranous nephropathy and a nephrotic syndrome. Only patients with a complete remission lasting for at least six months and with a follow-up of at least four years after remission were considered. No relapse of proteinuria developed in 17 patients (51%), 7 patients had relapse of non-nephrotic proteinuria (21%) and 9 (27%) relapse of nephrotic proteinuria. However proteinuria disappeared again in some patients so that at follow-up 73% of patients are in complete remission, 21% have non-nephrotic proteinuria and only 6% have nephrotic syndrome. All patients maintained a normal plasma creatinine over the years. It is concluded that complete remission of proteinuria is a strong predictor of long-term favourable outcome in patients with idiopathic membranous nephropathy.
authors.affiliation: Divisione di Nefrologia e Dialisi, Ospedale Maggiore Milano.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Passerini
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pasquali
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cesana
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zucchelli
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ponticelli
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015433:Glomerulonephritis, Membranous / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011507:Proteinuria / Q000150:complications*; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D003404:Creatinine