title: Nationwide survey on current treatments for IgA nephropathy in Japan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A wide variety of treatments, including tonsillectomy and steroid pulse therapy (TSP), are performed for the various stages of IgA nephropathy (IgAN) in Japan. However, the current status of treatments for IgAN patients in Japan is still unclear. The objective of the present study was to investigate the current status of treatments for IgAN patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A nationwide survey was conducted in 2008 by sending questionnaires to the 1,194 teaching hospitals of the Japanese Society of Nephrology (JSN) via Progressive Renal Diseases Research, Research on intractable disease, from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the total 376 hospitals (31.4 %) that responded, 188 hospitals (66.2 % in the internal medicine departments) performed TSP, out of which 137 hospitals (61.4 %) had begun to perform TSP in the period from 2004 to 2008. The following two major steroid pulse protocols in TSP were used: (1) three cycles over 3 consecutive weeks and (2) three cycles every 2 months. Approximately 68 % of pediatric hospitals (68 hospitals) performed combination therapy with prednisolone, azathioprine, heparin-warfarin and dipyridamole. The clinical remission rates for hematuria and proteinuria after TSP tended to be higher than those following other corticosteroid therapies. Almost all hospitals prescribed antiplatelet agents and renin angiotensin system inhibitor (RAS-I).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In addition to popular treatments such as antiplatelet agents and RAS-I, TSP is becoming a standard treatment for adult IgAN patients in Japan.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Juntendo University Faculty of Medicine, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan.
authors.forename: Keiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsuzaki
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Junichiro
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nakata
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Horikoshi
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawamura
authors.forename: Seiichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsuo
authors.forename: Yasuhiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tomino
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D057911:Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001379:Azathioprine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005922:Glomerulonephritis, IGA / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D006493:Heparin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011507:Proteinuria / Q000175:diagnosis; D012084:Renin-Angiotensin System; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014068:Tonsillectomy; D014859:Warfarin / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D057911:Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D014859:Warfarin; D006493:Heparin; D011239:Prednisolone; D001379:Azathioprine