title: Mycophenolate mofetil as maintenance therapy in patients with vasculitis and renal involvement.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cytotoxic drugs have reduced the mortality in patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AASV) but their use carries a substantial risk of toxicity. Efforts are made to switch from cytotoxic drugs to less toxic maintenance regimens. In this study we aimed to assess the efficacy of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) as maintenance therapy in patients with AASV and renal involvement.
  
  
  METHODS
  22 patients with newly diagnosed AASV, microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) (n = 16), Wegener's granulomatosis (WG, n = 4), renal limited vasculitis (RLV, n = 1) and Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS, n = 1) and renal involvement were followed for a median of 42 months (range 24 - 101). After 6 months of standard induction therapy, patients were switched to MMF monotherapy for 18 months. Renal parameters i.e. serum creatinine, proteinuria and urine sediment, BVAS scores and ANCA titers were assessed at baseline, after induction and after 18 months with MMF.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After the end of induction, 3 of the 4 patients who were initially hemodialysis (HD) dependent, remained on HD and were withdrawn from further analysis. In the remaining 19 patients, the improvement in renal function (p < 0.001), hematuria (p = 0.011), proteinuria (p = 0.007) and BVAS scores (p < 0.001) after induction was sustained after 18 months maintenance with MMF and no patient relapsing during this period. Until the end of the follow up, 31.58% of patients relapsed, at a median of 21.5 months (range: 18 - 60). Side effects were transient and infrequent.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with AASV and renal involvement, MMF seems to be an effective and well tolerated option in sustaining short- and medium-term remission.
authors.affiliation: Center for Nephrology "G. Papadakis", General Hospital of Nikea, Nikea, Pireaus, Greece. ciatroug@otenet.gr
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Iatrou
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zerbala
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Revela
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Spanou
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marinaki
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nakopoulou
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boletis
mesh_terms: D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic / Q000276:immunology; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D007677:Kidney Function Tests; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid