Effectiveness of mycophenolate mofetil in C3 glomerulonephritis

Kidney Int. 2015 Nov;88(5):1153-60. doi: 10.1038/ki.2015.227. Epub 2015 Jul 29.

Abstract

C3 glomerulonephritis is a clinicopathologic entity defined by the presence of isolated or dominant deposits of C3 on immunofluorescence. To explore the effect of immunosuppression on C3 glomerulonephritis, we studied a series of 60 patients in whom a complete registry of treatments was available over a median follow-up of 47 months. Twenty patients had not received immunosuppressive treatments. In the remaining 40 patients, 22 had been treated with corticosteroids plus mycophenolate mofetil while 18 were treated with other immunosuppressive regimens (corticosteroids alone or corticosteroids plus cyclophosphamide). The number of patients developing end-stage renal disease was significantly lower among treated compared with untreated patients (3 vs. 7 patients, respectively). No patient in the corticosteroids plus mycophenolate mofetil group doubled serum creatinine nor developed end-stage renal disease, as compared with 7 (significant) and 3 (not significant), respectively, in patients treated with other immunosuppressive regimens. Renal survival (100, 80, and 72% at 5 years) and the number of patients achieving clinical remission (86, 50, and 25%) were significantly higher in patients treated with corticosteroids plus mycophenolate mofetil as compared with patients treated with other immunosuppressive regimens and untreated patients, respectively. Thus, immunosuppressive treatments, particularly corticosteroids plus mycophenolate mofetil, can be beneficial in C3 glomerulonephritis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adrenal Cortex Hormones / therapeutic use
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / therapeutic use
  • Complement C3*
  • Creatinine / blood
  • Cyclophosphamide / therapeutic use
  • Disease Progression
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Glomerulonephritis / complications
  • Glomerulonephritis / drug therapy*
  • Glomerulonephritis / immunology
  • Humans
  • Immunosuppressive Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Kidney Failure, Chronic / etiology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mycophenolic Acid / analogs & derivatives*
  • Mycophenolic Acid / therapeutic use
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Survival Rate
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Adrenal Cortex Hormones
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • Complement C3
  • Immunosuppressive Agents
  • Cyclophosphamide
  • Creatinine
  • Mycophenolic Acid