Comparison of therapeutic effects of prednisone combined with mycophenolate mofetil versus cyclosporin A in children with steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome

Abstract:

Objective To compare the therapeutic effects of prednisone combined with mycophenolate mofetil(MMF) versus cyclosporin A(CsA) in children with steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome(SRNS).Methods The clinical data of 164 SRNS children who were treated with prednisone combined with MMF or CsA between January 2004 and December 2013 were collected, and the clinical effect of prednisone combined with MMF(MMF group, 112 children) or CsA(CsA group, 52 children) was analyzed retrospectively.Results At 1 month after treatment, the CsA group had a significantly higher remission rate than the MMF group(67.3% vs 42.9%;P<0.05).At 3 months after treatment, the CsA group also had a significantly higher remission rate than the MMF group(78.8% vs 63.3%;P<0.05).The 24-hour urinary protein excretion in both groups changed significantly with time(P<0.05) and differed significantly between the two groups(P<0.05).There were no serious adverse events in the two groups.Conclusions Prednisone combined with MMF or CsA is effective and safe for the treatment of SRNS in children, and within 3 months of treatment, CsA has a better effect than MMF.