CYCLOSPORINE IN THE TREATMENT OF GLOMERULONEPHRITIS IN CHILDREN - A MULTICENTER SURVEY

The results of a retrospective survey from ten pediatric nephrology centers of the use of cyclosporin (CyA) in the treatment of childhood glomerular nephropathies (104 with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome and 23 with other glomerulopathies), are reported. All patients were treated with CyA for some time during the period 1986-1989. A previous histological study was obtained from 38 steroid-dependent INS (28 MCD, 4 FSGS, 6 DPM) and from 41 steroid-resistant INS (8 MCD, 23 FSGS, 10 DPM). The ranges of CyA-dosage in each individual Center fluctuated between 2.4 and 10 mg/kg and the mean blood trough levels between 84 and 270 ng/ml. A complete remission was achieved in 86% of the steroid-dependent group. Among the steroid-resistant INS, 24% went into complete remission and proteinuria decreased in another 17%. Only in the steroid-resistant INS did the response to CyA correlated with the histological findings.