title: Long-term study of mycophenolate mofetil treatment in IgA nephropathy.
abstract: Since the efficacy of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) to treat immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy is controversial, we extended our original study by following 40 Chinese patients with established IgA nephropathy for 6 years. All patients were maintained on their angiotensin blockade medication and half were randomized to receive MMF for 6 months. After 6 years, 11 patients required dialysis (2 from the MMF and 9 from the control group). Significantly, only 3 treated (as compared to 10 control) patients reached the composite end point of serum creatinine doubling or end-stage renal disease. Linear regression showed the annualized decline in the estimated glomerular filtration rate was significantly less in the MMF-treated group. Urinary protein excretion and the albumin-to-creatinine ratio were lower with MMF treatment during the first 24 months, beyond which there was no difference between groups. Multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that the baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate and proteinuria, and change in the urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio at 1 year to be important predictors of progression to end-stage renal disease. We found that among Chinese patients with IgA nephropathy who had mild histologic lesions and persistent proteinuria despite maximal angiotensin blockade, MMF treatment may result in transient and partial remission of proteinuria in the short-term and renoprotection in the long-term.
authors.affiliation: Nephrology Division, Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong and Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Sydney C W
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Anthony W C
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Sunny S H
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Joseph C K
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Yiu Wing
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Kar Neng
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Lai
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D005922:Glomerulonephritis, IGA / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000517:prevention & control; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011507:Proteinuria / Q000188:drug therapy; D012074:Remission Induction / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D003404:Creatinine; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid