BACKGROUND: @entity8 is the most common form of idiopathic @entity631 . There is no current consensus on treatment for this condition. We report on the effect of immunosuppression with @entity288 and @entity786 for the treatment of @entity8 associated with crescenteric change. METHODS: The effect of oral @entity617 (0.8 mg/kg initially, reducing to 0.4 mg/kg after 4 weeks) and @entity786 (1.5 mg/kg) given until a plateau of response was obtained was studied in 9 @entity1 with @entity8 associated with severe inflammatory change and crescents. The initial diagnostic renal biopsies of these @entity1 revealed 25-70% of the glomeruli effected with active cellular crescents. When response to therapy, plateaued @entity786 was discontinued and @entity617 reduced from 0.4 mg/kg. Follow-up renal biopsy was performed in 8 of the 9 @entity1 . @entity1 were maintained on @entity617 (5- 7.5 mg) and @entity500 (1 mg/kg) for further 2 years. RESULTS: The mean time until discontinuation of @entity786 was 17.8 weeks (+/-1.23, range 12-25 weeks). There were no serious complications of therapy. There was an improvement in renal function in all patients with serum @entity1011 falling from a mean of 149.6+/-16.5, range 81-227 micromol/l to 116.4+/-8.6, range 80-158 micromol/l, p=0.01. @entity1011 clearance improved from a mean of 57.1+/-9.9, range 21-104 ml/min to 87.2+/-10.1, range 39-125 ml/min, p=0.004. 24-hour urinary total protein fell over the same time m period from a mean of 4.54+/-1.1, range 1.0-11.27 g to 1.2+/-0.27, range 0.01-2.65 g, p=0.004. There were no significant differences in blood pressure during this time. Repeat renal biopsies showed significant degrees of histological improvement with healing of crescents and a reduction in acute inflammatory change in all except one @entity1 . The mean period of follow-up after cessation of @entity786 was 17.4+/-2.8 months, range 10-36 months. There was no significant change over this period in serum @entity1011 , @entity1011 clearance or urinary protein losses. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that @entity8 associated with severe inflammatory and crescenteric change can be effectively and safely treated with a low-cost regime based on oral @entity288 and @entity786 tailored to a plateau of treatment response in individual @entity1 .

Steroid and XXXX therapy for @entity8 associated with crescenteric change: an effective treatment.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['Patients', 'patients', 'patient'] @entity8 :: ('MESH:D007674', 'Disease') :: ['IgA nephropathy'] @entity500 :: ('MESH:D001379', 'Chemical') :: ['azathioprine'] @entity786 :: ('MESH:D003520', 'Chemical') :: ['cyclophosphamide'] @entity1011 :: ('MESH:D003404', 'Chemical') :: ['Creatinine', 'creatinine'] @entity631 :: ('MESH:D005921', 'Disease') :: ['glomerulonephritis'] @entity617 :: ('MESH:D011239', 'Chemical') :: ['prednisolone'] @entity288 :: ('MESH:D000305', 'Chemical') :: ['corticosteroids']
@entity786 :: (MESH:D003520,Chemical) :: ['cyclophosphamide']
