Open AccessRituximab for nephrotic syndrome in children
Author(s) -
Kazumoto Iijima,
Mayumi Sako,
Kandai Nozu
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
clinical and experimental nephrology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.765
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1437-7799
pISSN - 1342-1751
DOI - 10.1007/s10157-016-1313-5
Subject(s) - rituximab , medicine , nephrotic syndrome , nephrology , refractory (planetary science) , focal segmental glomerulosclerosis , pediatrics , immunology , glomerulonephritis , kidney , lymphoma , physics , astrobiology
Idiopathic nephrotic syndrome is the most common chronic glomerular disease in children. At least 20 % of children with this syndrome show frequent relapses and/or steroid dependence during or after immunosuppressive therapies, a condition defined as complicated frequently relapsing/steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome (FRNS/SDNS). Approximately 1-3 % of children with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome are resistant to steroids and all immunosuppressive agents, a condition defined as refractory steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS); these SRNS children have a high risk of end-stage renal failure. Rituximab, a chimeric anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, has been shown to be effective for patients with complicated FRNS/SDNS and refractory SRNS. This review describes the recent results of rituximab treatment applied to pediatric nephrotic syndrome, as well as those of our recent study, a multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of rituximab for childhood-onset complicated FRNS/SDNS (RCRNS01). The overall efficacy and safety of rituximab for this disease are discussed.