Cyclosporin A is superior to cyclophosphamide in children with steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome—a randomized controlled multicentre trial by the Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Pädiatrische Nephrologie

First line immunosuppressive treatment in steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome in children is still open to discussion. We conducted a controlled multicentre randomized open label trial to test the efficacy and safety of cyclosporin A (CSA) versus cyclophosphamide pulses (CPH) in the initial therapy... Full description

First line immunosuppressive treatment in steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome in children is still open to discussion. We conducted a controlled multicentre randomized open label trial to test the efficacy and safety of cyclosporin A (CSA) versus cyclophosphamide pulses (CPH) in the initial therapy of children with newly diagnosed primary steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome and histologically proven minimal change disease, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis or mesangial hypercellularity. Patients in the CSA group ( n  = 15) were initially treated with 150 mg/m 2 CSA orally to achieve trough levels of 120–180 ng/ml, while patients in the CPH group ( n  = 17) received CPH pulses (500 mg/m 2 per month intravenous). All patients were on alternate prednisone therapy. Patients with proteinuria >40 mg/m 2 per hour at 12 weeks of therapy were allocated to a non-responder protocol with high-dose CSA therapy or methylprednisolone pulses. At week 12, nine of the 15 (60%) CSA patients showed at least partial remission, evidences by a reduction of proteinuria