title: Recent clinical trials in lupus nephritis.
abstract: Recent clinical trials have provided evidence for the efficacy of low-dose intravenous cyclophosphamide and mycophenolate mofetil as induction treatment for patients with proliferative lupus nephritis in comparative trials with standard-dose intravenous cyclophosphamide. Trials of maintenance treatments have had more variable results, but suggest that the efficacy of mycophenolate mofetil may be similar to that of quarterly standard-dose intravenous cyclophosphamide and somewhat more efficacious than azathioprine. Differential responses to mycophenolate mofetil based on ethnicity suggest that it may be more effective in black and Hispanic patients. Rituximab was not efficacious as an adjunct to induction treatment with mycophenolate mofetil.
authors.affiliation: Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Building 10CRC, Room 4-1339, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. Electronic address: wardm1@mail.nih.gov.
authors.forename: Michael M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Ward
mesh_terms: D001379:Azathioprine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D020834:Ethnopharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D008181:Lupus Nephritis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000208:ethnology; D054539:Medication Therapy Management; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D058958:Organs at Risk; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid; D001379:Azathioprine
keywords: Azathioprine; Cyclophosphamide; Cyclosporine; Lupus nephritis; Mycophenolate mofetil; Randomized controlled trial; Rituximab