Rituximab Treatment for Nephrotic Syndrome in Children.
In the past 10 years, many reports have suggested that rituximab, a chimeric anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, is effective for children with complicated, frequently relapsing or steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome (FRNS/SDNS). However, those reports were case reports, case series, retrospective surveys, and single-arm or short-term trials. Therefore, well-designed controlled trials are required to establish the value of rituximab in this condition. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of rituximab in childhood-onset, complicated FRNS/SDNS, a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial was carried out by the Research Group of Childhood-onset Refractory Nephrotic Syndrome (RCRNS) in Japan (RCRNS01). RCRNS01 showed that rituximab is safe and effective for the treatment of childhood-onset, complicated FRNS/SDNS. In 2014, the use of rituximab for patients with complicated FRNS/SDNS was approved, first in the world, by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan.
Department of Pediatrics, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 650-0017 Japan.
Kazumoto
K
Iijima
Division for Clinical Trials, Department of Development Strategy, Center for Social and Clinical Research, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, National Center for Child Health and Development, 2-10-1 Okura, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 157-8535 Japan.
Mayumi
M
Sako
Department of Pediatrics, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-2 Kusunoki-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, 650-0017 Japan.
Kandai
K
Nozu
Frequently relapsing; Multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial; Nephrotic syndrome; Rituximab; Steroid-dependent