title: Cyclosporine-induced remission of relapsing nephrotic syndrome in children.
abstract: We treated 20 steroid-resistant or steroid-dependent nephrotic patients with oral cyclosporin for 8 weeks; they had been treated previously with cyclophosphamide or chlorambucil. Cyclosporine was started at 7 mg/kg/d and titrated to maintain a serum level of 100 to 200 ng/mL. Of 20 patients, 14 had a complete remission and the remaining six had a reduction in their proteinuria. By life table analysis, 40% of the responders show a sustained remission of up to a year. Pretherapy levels of interleukin 2, measured in 10 patients, were normal or supranormal in eight, six of whom were treatment responders; two patients with low levels of interleukin 2 were both nonresponders. Cyclosporine can be used to induce a remission in relapsing nephrotic patients, and short-term cyclosporine therapy does not produce nephrotoxic effects.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003524:Cyclosporins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D004351:Drug Resistance; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology; D009404:Nephrotic Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D012008:Recurrence; D013256:Steroids / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D003524:Cyclosporins; D007376:Interleukin-2; D013256:Steroids