title: The 10-year follow-up data of the Euro-Lupus Nephritis Trial comparing low-dose and high-dose intravenous cyclophosphamide.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To update the follow-up of the Euro-Lupus Nephritis Trial (ELNT), a randomised prospective trial comparing low-dose (LD) and high-dose (HD) intravenous (IV) cyclophosphamide (CY) followed by azathioprine (AZA) as treatment for proliferative lupus nephritis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data for survival and kidney function were prospectively collected during a 10-year period for the 90 patients randomised in the ELNT, except in 6 lost to follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Death, sustained doubling of serum creatinine and end-stage renal disease rates did not differ between the LD and HD group (5/44 (11%) vs 2/46 (4%), 6/44 (14%) vs 5/46 (11%) and 2/44 (5%) vs 4/46 (9%), respectively) nor did mean serum creatinine, 24 h proteinuria and damage score at last follow-up. Most patients in both groups were still treated with glucocorticoids, other immunosuppressant agents and blood pressure lowering drugs. After 10 years of follow-up, the positive predictive value for a good outcome of an early drop in proteinuria in response to initial immunosuppressive therapy was confirmed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data confirm that a LD IVCY regimen followed by AZA-the "Euro-Lupus regimen"-achieves good clinical results in the very long term.
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Department, Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc, Université catholique de Louvain, Avenue Hippocrate, 10, B-1200 Bruxelles, Belgium. frederic.houssiau@uclouvain.be
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Houssiau
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vasconcelos
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: D'Cruz
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Sebastiani
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: de Ramon Garrido
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Danieli
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Abramovicz
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Blockmans
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cauli
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Direskeneli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Galeazzi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gül
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Petera
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Popovic
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Petrovic
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Sinico
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cattaneo
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Font
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Depresseux
authors.forename: J-P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Cosyns
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cervera
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001379:Azathioprine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007677:Kidney Function Tests; D008181:Lupus Nephritis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011507:Proteinuria / Q000188:drug therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D001379:Azathioprine