title: Longterm followup after tapering mycophenolate mofetil during maintenance treatment for proliferative lupus nephritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the timing for safe reduction of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) dose during remission-maintenance therapy of proliferative lupus nephritis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population consisted of 44 patients evaluated retrospectively; MMF dose was empirically tapered in 18/44 patients until the latest observation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients reducing MMF ≤ 18 months after remission/complete remission had a 6.8-fold/6.3-fold higher risk of relapse compared to those taking a stable dose (p = 0.001, p = 0.011, respectively). Reducing MMF later than 18 months was not associated with increased relapse rates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reducing MMF > 1.5 years after remission/complete remission seems to warrant drug tapering without increased risk of disease flare in proliferative lupus nephritis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathophysiology, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Athens, Greece. katerina_laskari@yahoo.gr
authors.forename: Katerina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Laskari
authors.forename: Athanasios G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Tzioufas
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Antoniou
authors.forename: Haralampos M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Moutsopoulos
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008181:Lupus Nephritis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012074:Remission Induction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid