title: Prognosis after immunosuppression of patients with crescentic nephritis requiring dialysis.
abstract: 48 patients with rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis were treated by a regimen of intensive plasma exchange, steroids, and cytotoxic drugs. All required dialysis before immunosuppressive treatment was started, and all had 50% or more of their glomeruli affected by crescent formation. Renal function was not recovered in any of the 21 patients with anti-glomerular basement membrane antibody disease. In contrast 63% of patients without these autoantibodies recovered renal function. Plasma creatinine remained stable over prolonged follow-up (6-60 months) in all but 1 of the 10 late survivors. There was no correlation between the extent of crescent formation and recovery of renal function in those patients without circulating anti-glomerular basement membrane antibodies.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000276:immunology; D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005921:Glomerulonephritis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007678:Kidney Glomerulus / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010951:Plasma Exchange; D011379:Prognosis; D006435:Renal Dialysis
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents