Mycophenolate mofetil for the treatment of juvenile onset SLE: a multicenter study.
Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) has proved to be an efficacious and safe therapy in adult lupus nephritis. Recently, this drug has been suggested as a possible new alternative treatment also for juvenile-onset SLE (juvenile-SLE). A multicenter study has been performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of MMF in controlling the disease activity in children and adolescents with juvenile-SLE. Our results show that MMF was effective in reducing the disease activity or as a steroid-sparing agent in 14 of 26 patients (54%), stabilised the disease in 8 (31%) and was ineffective in 4 (15%). In particular, in patients without renal involvement, a good response was registered in 9 of 13 patients (69%). Among those patients with renal involvement, MMF was effective in 5 of 13 patients (38%), partially effective in 4 (31%) and ineffective in 4 (31%). No severe side effects have been observed; only two patients stopped the drug because of severe diarrhoea and abdominal pain. With the limits of a retrospective study, MMF seems to be effective and safe for the treatment of juvenile-SLE, especially in patients with no renal involvement.
Falcini
F
F
Department of Biomedicine, Division of Rheumatology, Transition Unit, University of Florence, Florence, Italy. falcini@unifi.it
Capannini
S
S
Martini
G
G
La Torre
F
F
Vitale
A
A
Mangiantini
F
F
Nacci
F
F
Cerinic
M M
MM
Cimaz
R
R
Zulian
F
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008181:Lupus Nephritis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid