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The following is a summary of “Corticosteroid in IgA nephropathy with moderate proteinuria: A retrospective cohort study,” published in the January 2024 issue of Nephrology by Wang et al.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to assess the efficacy and safety of corticosteroid therapy in IgAN patients with moderate proteinuria.
They enrolled 336 patients with confirmed IgA nephropathy, an eGFR exceeding 15 mL/min/1.73 m-2, and urine protein levels ranging from 0.75 to 3.5 g/d. Classifying patients per the treatment protocol, one group received corticosteroids, while the other received supportive care. Effectiveness was gauged through complete, partial, or no remission, with the endpoint being a 40% eGFR reduction, onset of ESRD, or death related to renal disease.
The results showed a heightened presence of risk factors for clinical and pathological progression in individuals treated with corticosteroids. Following adjustment for confounding factors, logistic regression analysis demonstrated a substantial association between the corticosteroid group and an increased remission rate. No statistical difference was seen in severe AEs between the two groups. Subsequently, 95 pairs of patients with similar baseline levels were matched in both groups using propensity score matching. Patients treated with corticosteroids exhibited higher overall and complete remission rates than untreated ones. With the short follow-up period, no significant differences in endpoint incidence and survival analyses have been observed yet.
Investigators concluded that for IgAN patients with moderate proteinuria, steroids may cut proteinuria and protect kidney function.
Source: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/nep.14269
