title: Prednisone in the treatment of tubulointerstitial nephritis in children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN) may develop permanent renal impairment. However, there are no prospective studies available on the treatment of TIN.
  
  
  METHODS
  The effect of prednisone in the treatment of TIN was evaluated in a total of 17 patients who received prednisone or who were followed up without medication. The patient group was subdivided based on the initial plasma creatinine (PCr), below or above 150 μmol/l.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All prednisone-treated patients had normal plasma creatinine (PCr) after 1 month of treatment (median 59.1 [45-85] μmol/l) whereas only 50 % of patients in the non-treatment group had normal creatinine (median 81.0 [42-123] μmol/l) at the same time point (p = 0.025). During 6 months' follow-up, PCr decreased in all patient groups; however, it decreased significantly only in prednisone-treated patients with baseline PCr >150 μmol/l (p < 0.001). At the end of follow-up, no difference in PCr, glomerular filtration rate (GFR), or low molecular weight (LMW) proteinuria could be found between the study groups. A considerable number of patients in both groups had subnormal GFR and/or persistent LMW proteinuria at the 6-month follow-up visit. Eighty-two percent of the patients had uveitis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prednisone speeds up the recovery from renal symptoms of TIN, especially in patients with severe nephritis. The renal function did not differ significantly between prednisone and control patients after 6 months' follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Nephrology and Transplantation, Children's Hospital, Helsinki University Central Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. timo.jahnukainen@helsinki.fi
authors.forename: Timo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jahnukainen
authors.forename: Ville
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Saarela
authors.forename: Pekka
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Arikoski
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ylinen
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rönnholm
authors.forename: Marja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ala-Houhala
authors.forename: Matti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nuutinen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009395:Nephritis, Interstitial / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014605:Uveitis / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D003404:Creatinine; D011241:Prednisone