Case Report
Long-Term Azathioprine Therapy in Two Children with Steroid-Dependent Minimal-Change Nephrotic Syndrome
-
HIROSHI TANAKA,1,2 NORIO ONODERA1 and SHINOBU WAGA2
-
1Division of Pediatrics, Iwate Prefectural Kitakami Hospital, Kitakami 024-0063, and 2Department of Pediatrics, Hirosaki University School of Medicine, Hirosaki 036-8562
Long-term azathioprine therapy as an alternative treatment to cyclophosphamide was done in 2 children with steroid-dependent minimal-change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS). They had already been treated with prednisolone, intravenous methyl-prednisolone pulse therapy, cyclophosphamide and mizoribine. Although cyclophosphamide had been proved to be effective in maintaining their remission, the cumulative dose of the agent limited another course of cyclophosphamide therapy. Since ciclosporine therapy is much expensive, a trial of azathioprine (2 mg/kg per day) was started, and the therapy resulted in inducing sustained remission and reducing prednisolone. The patients were well tolerated the long-term azathioprine therapy over a year. Although the efficacy of azathioprine in the management of childhood MCNS might be restricted, we therefore suggest that this agent should be reconsidered as an alternative treatment to cyclophosphamide.
Key words---
alternative treatment; azathioprine; childhood; long-term treatment; steroid-dependent minimal-change nephrotic syndrome
© 1999 Tohoku University Medical Press
Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 1999, 187, 273-278
Address for reprints:
Hiroshi Tanaka, M.D., Division of Pediatrics, Iwate Prefectural Kitakami Hospital, 3-15-36 Kunen-bashi, Kitakami 024-0063, Japan.
Back to CONTENTS.