Tacrolimus in resistant primary membranous nephropathy--a report of 3 cases.
OBJECTIVE
To study the efficacy and safety of tacrolimus in primary membranous nephropathy.


METHODS
We describe 3 patients with primary membranous nephropathy who were either resistant to or could not tolerate steroid with or without cytotoxic agents. They were treated with tacrolimus 0.2 mg/kg/day for 6 months. The dosage of tacrolimus was adjusted to keep a whole blood tacrolimus level of 5-10 ng/ml.


RESULTS
One patient had almost complete disappearance of proteinuria while the other 2 had at least 50% reduction in proteinuria. Proteinuria increased again in 2 of the patients after tacrolimus was stopped, but in neither of them proteinuria returned to the pretreatment level 6 months after tacrolimus was stopped.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that tacrolimus may have a modest efficacy in the treatment of resistant membranous nephropathy.
Szeto
C C
CC
Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Prince of Wales Hospital, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong.
Leung
C B
CB
Lai
F M M
FM
Li
P K T
PK
D000328:Adult; D015433:Glomerulonephritis, Membranous / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011507:Proteinuria / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology*; D016559:Tacrolimus / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D016559:Tacrolimus