Successful prednisolone therapy in elderly patients with severe forms of henoch-schönlein purpura nephritis.
BACKGROUND
Recently, Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) has been observed in elderly people, although it was believed to be uncommon in these subjects. The increased risks of developing end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in adults in comparison with children were highlighted by different studies; however, limited data are available on the treatment of HSP nephritis in adults.


METHODS
Between 2002 and 2008, five elderly Japanese patients (>65 years old) (mean age, 68 years, ranging from 65 to 72) with severe forms of HSP nephritis were entered into a prospective study to evaluate prednisolone therapy on the outcome of nephropathy in terms of clinical symptoms and histopathological changes. The patients were considered at risk of developing chronic renal failure when they presented with a nephrotic syndrome and crescentic glomeruli.


RESULTS
At the last follow-up, 4-10 years after initiation of the therapy, four patients had clinically recovered and one died of lung cancer. No patients developed ESRD. The clinical outcome seemed to be correlated with glomerular activity (massive proteinuria and crescent formation). In spite of a relatively large dose of prednisolone, a few adverse effects, such as insomnia and skin lesions, were observed.


CONCLUSIONS
Our preliminary small study suggests that renal outcome as well as survival of elderly patients with severe forms of HSP might be altered by aggressive prednisolone therapy.
Department of Nephrology, Saitama Medical University, Iruma-gun, Saitama, Japan.
Saiko
S
Kato-Okada
Department of Nephrology, Saitama Medical University, Iruma-gun, Saitama, Japan.
Hiromichi
H
Suzuki
Department of Nephrology, Saitama Medical University, Iruma-gun, Saitama, Japan.
Tsutomu
T
Inoue
Department of Nephrology, Saitama Medical University, Iruma-gun, Saitama, Japan.
Tomohiro
T
Kikuta
Department of Nephrology, Saitama Medical University, Iruma-gun, Saitama, Japan.
Hirokazu
H
Okada
ESRD; crescent formation; nephrotic syndrome; prednisolone therapy