State-of-the-art paradigm of corticosteroid therapy for immune-mediated inflammatory kidney diseases

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Abstract

Since 1950’s corticosteroids (CS) have remained the cornerstone of immunosuppressive therapy for immune-mediated kidney diseases. However multiple adverse events, associated with the prolonged CS therapy, became the basis for the development of novel treatment approaches. Current evidence supports the implementation of the steroid-sparing regimens for the treatment of different types of glomerulonephritis. Randomised controlled trial PEXIVAS demonstrated the efficacy and safety of early steroid tapering, starting from the second week of therapy, in patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis with kidney involvement. Several trials showed the efficacy of oral prednisolone 0.3–0.5 mg/kg/daily as a part of multitarget therapy for severe proliferative lupus nephritis. A combination of calcineurin inhibitors and low-dose CS are effective for remission induction in membranous nephropathy, as well as the steroid-free rituximab regimen for the patients with moderate risk of disease progression. Medium dose CS showed promising effect in patients with IgA-nephropathy. Long-term high dose CS remain the standard-of-care for the treatment of minimal change disease and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, however patients with steroid-dependent and relapsing disease tacrolimus and rituximab can help to achieve steroid-sparing effect. The role of CS pulse-therapy is currently debated, nevertheless it remains a compulsory treatment in several conditions. Thus, overall trend is directed towards the minimization of the maximal doses of CS and/or treatment duration. However, to implement this approach morphological verification of the diagnosis and personalized assessment of the potential risk and benefit are required.

About the authors

Nikolay M. Bulanov

Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University)

Author for correspondence.
Email: bulanov_n_m@staff.sechenov.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-3989-2590

канд. мед. наук, доц. каф. внутренних, профессиональных болезней и ревматологии Клиники ревматологии, нефрологии и профпатологии им. Е.М. Тареева Университетской клинической больницы №3

Russian Federation, Moscow

Irina N. Bobkova

Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University)

Email: bulanov_n_m@staff.sechenov.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-8007-5680

д-р мед. наук, проф. каф. внутренних, профессиональных болезней и ревматологии Клиники ревматологии, нефрологии и профпатологии им. Е.М. Тареева Университетской клинической больницы №3

Russian Federation, Moscow

Sergey V. Moiseev

Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University)

Email: bulanov_n_m@staff.sechenov.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-7232-4640

чл.-кор. РАН, д-р мед. наук, проф., зав. каф. внутренних, профессиональных болезней и ревматологии, дир. Клиники ревматологии, нефрологии и профпатологии им. Е.М. Тареева Университетской клинической больницы №3

Russian Federation, Moscow

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