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Chan EYH, Yap DYH, Wong WHS, Wong SW, Lin KYK, Hui FYW, Li JYM, Lam SSY, Wong JKY, Lai FFY, Ho TW, Tong PC, Lai WM, Chan TM, Ma ALT. Renal relapse in children and adolescents with childhood-onset lupus nephritis: a 20-year study. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2024; 63:953-961. [PMID: 37632777 DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/kead447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES There is little data on renal relapse in childhood-onset LN (cLN). We investigate the incidence, predictive factors and outcomes related to renal relapse. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all cLN diagnosed at ≤18 years between 2001-2021 to investigate the incidence and outcomes related to renal relapse. RESULTS Ninety-five Chinese cLN patients (91% proliferative LN) were included. Induction immunosuppression was prednisolone and CYC [n = 36 (38%)] or MMF [n = 33 (35%)]. Maintenance immunosuppression was prednisolone and MMF [n = 53 (54%)] or AZA [n = 29 (31%)]. The rates of complete remission/partial remission (CR/PR) at 12 months were 78.9%/7.4%. Seventy renal relapses occurred in 39 patients over a follow-up of 10.2 years (s.d. 5.9) (0.07 episode/patient-year). Relapse-free survival was 94.7, 86.0, 80.1, 71.2, 68.3, 50.3 and 44.5% at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10 and 20 years, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that LN diagnosis <13.1 years [adjusted hazard ratio (HRadj) 2.59 995% CI 1.27, 5.29), P = 0.01], AZA maintenance [HRadj 2.20 (95% CI 1.01, 4.79), P = 0.05], PR [HRadj 3.9 (95% CI 1.03, 9.19), P = 0.01] and non-remission [HRadj 3.08 (95% CI 1.35, 11.3), P = 0.04] at 12 months were predictive of renal relapse. Renal relapse was significantly associated with advanced chronic kidney disease (stages 3-5) and end-stage kidney disease (17.9% vs 1.8%, P < 0.01). Furthermore, patients with renal relapse showed an increased incidence of infections (30.8% vs 10.7%, P = 0.02), osteopenia (38.5% vs 17.9%, P = 0.04) and hypertension (30.8% vs 7.1%, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION Renal relapse is common among cLN, especially among young patients, and is associated with an increased incidence of morbidity and mortality. Attaining CR and the use of MMF appear to decrease the incidence of renal relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene Yu-Hin Chan
- Paediatric Nephrology Centre, Hong Kong Children's Hospital, Hong Kong
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Desmond Yat-Hin Yap
- Paediatric Nephrology Centre, Hong Kong Children's Hospital, Hong Kong
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, University of Hong Kong School of Clinical Medicine, Hong Kong
| | | | - Sze-Wa Wong
- Paediatric Nephrology Centre, Hong Kong Children's Hospital, Hong Kong
| | - Kyle Ying-Kit Lin
- Paediatric Nephrology Centre, Hong Kong Children's Hospital, Hong Kong
| | - Felix Yan-Wai Hui
- Paediatric Nephrology Centre, Hong Kong Children's Hospital, Hong Kong
| | | | | | | | | | - Tsz-Wai Ho
- Paediatric Nephrology Centre, Hong Kong Children's Hospital, Hong Kong
| | - Pak-Chiu Tong
- Paediatric Nephrology Centre, Hong Kong Children's Hospital, Hong Kong
| | - Wai-Ming Lai
- Paediatric Nephrology Centre, Hong Kong Children's Hospital, Hong Kong
| | - Tak Mao Chan
- Paediatric Nephrology Centre, Hong Kong Children's Hospital, Hong Kong
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, University of Hong Kong School of Clinical Medicine, Hong Kong
| | - Alison Lap-Tak Ma
- Paediatric Nephrology Centre, Hong Kong Children's Hospital, Hong Kong
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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Chan EYH, Lai FFY, Ma ALT, Chan TM. Managing Lupus Nephritis in Children and Adolescents. Paediatr Drugs 2024; 26:145-161. [PMID: 38117412 DOI: 10.1007/s40272-023-00609-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Lupus nephritis is an important manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus, which leads to chronic kidney disease, kidney failure, and can result in mortality. About 35%-60% of children with systemic lupus erythematosus develop kidney involvement. Over the past few decades, the outcome of patients with lupus nephritis has improved significantly with advances in immunosuppressive therapies and clinical management. Nonetheless, there is a paucity of high-level evidence to guide the management of childhood-onset lupus nephritis, because of the relatively small number of patients at each centre and also because children and adolescents are often excluded from clinical trials. Children and adults differ in more ways than just size, and there are remarkable differences between childhood- and adult-onset lupus nephritis in terms of disease severity, treatment efficacy, tolerance to medications and most importantly, psychosocial perspective. In this article, we review the 'art and science' of managing childhood-onset lupus nephritis, which has evolved in recent years, and highlight special considerations in this specific patient population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene Yu-Hin Chan
- Paediatric Nephrology Centre, Hong Kong Children's Hospital, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong.
| | - Fiona Fung-Yee Lai
- Paediatric Nephrology Centre, Hong Kong Children's Hospital, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Alison Lap-Tak Ma
- Paediatric Nephrology Centre, Hong Kong Children's Hospital, Kowloon, Hong Kong
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Tak Mao Chan
- Paediatric Nephrology Centre, Hong Kong Children's Hospital, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, School of Clinical Medicine, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong.
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Chan EYH, Wong SW, Lai FFY, Ho TW, Tong PC, Lai WM, Ma ALT, Yap DYH. Long-term outcomes with rituximab as add-on therapy in severe childhood-onset lupus nephritis. Pediatr Nephrol 2023; 38:4001-4011. [PMID: 37358717 DOI: 10.1007/s00467-023-06025-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Long-term data pertaining to rituximab as add-on therapy in childhood-onset lupus nephritis (cLN) is scarce. METHODS A retrospective cohort study was conducted on all patients with proliferative cLN, diagnosed ≤ 18 years and between 2005 and 2021, who received rituximab for LN episodes that were life/organ threatening and/or treatment resistant to standard immunosuppression. RESULTS Fourteen patients with cLN (female, n = 10) were included, with median follow-up period of 6.9 years. LN episodes (class III, n = 1; class IV, n = 11; class IV + V, n = 2) requiring rituximab occurred at 15.6 years (IQR 12.8-17.3), urine protein:creatinine ratio was 8.2 mg/mg (IQR 3.4-10.1) and eGFR was 28 mL/min/1.73 m2 (IQR 24-69) prior to rituximab treatment. Ten and four patients received rituximab at 1500 mg/m2 and 750 mg/m2, which were given at 46.5 days (IQR 19-69) after commencement of standard therapies. Treatment with rituximab resulted in improvements in proteinuria (ps < 0.001), eGFR (ps < 0.01) and serological parameters, including haemoglobin levels, complement 3 levels and anti-dsDNA antibodies, compared with baseline. Rates of complete/partial remission at 6-, 12- and 24-month post-rituximab were 28.6/42.8%, 64.2/21.4% and 69.2/15.3%. All three patients who required acute kidney replacement therapy became dialysis-free after rituximab. Relapse rate following rituximab was 0.11 episodes/patient-year. There was no lethal complication or severe infusion reaction. Hypogammaglobulinaemia was the most frequent complication (45%) but was mostly asymptomatic. Neutropenia and infections were observed in 20% and 25% of treatments. Upon last follow-up, three (21%) and two (14%) patients developed chronic kidney disease (stage 2, n = 2; stage 4; n = 1) and kidney failure, respectively. CONCLUSION Add-on rituximab is an effective and safe rescue therapy for cLN patients with life-/organ-threatening manifestations or treatment-resistance. A higher resolution version of the Graphical abstract is available as Supplementary information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene Yu-Hin Chan
- Paediatric Nephrology Centre, Hong Kong Children's Hospital, Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong SAR.
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR.
| | - Sze-Wa Wong
- Paediatric Nephrology Centre, Hong Kong Children's Hospital, Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Fiona Fung-Yee Lai
- Paediatric Nephrology Centre, Hong Kong Children's Hospital, Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Tsz-Wai Ho
- Paediatric Nephrology Centre, Hong Kong Children's Hospital, Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Pak-Chiu Tong
- Paediatric Nephrology Centre, Hong Kong Children's Hospital, Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Wai-Ming Lai
- Paediatric Nephrology Centre, Hong Kong Children's Hospital, Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Alison Lap-Tak Ma
- Paediatric Nephrology Centre, Hong Kong Children's Hospital, Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong SAR.
- Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR.
| | - Desmond Yat-Hin Yap
- Paediatric Nephrology Centre, Hong Kong Children's Hospital, Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong SAR.
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong School of Clinical Medicine, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR.
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Li X, Tan Y, Yu F, Zhao M. Successful glucocorticoid withdrawal in Chinese lupus nephritis patients: A single centre experience. Int Immunopharmacol 2023; 125:111156. [PMID: 37944216 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2023.111156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2023] [Revised: 10/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the proportion of patients successfully withdrawn from glucocorticoids (GC) in a longitudinal cohort of patients with lupus nephritis over a period of 20 years, clinical and pathological predictors of patients with GC withdrawal and renal outcomes after GC withdrawal were further explored. METHODS Patients with successful GC withdrawal were identified for the cohort, and the following data were collected: demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations, pathological findings at disease onset, flares, and renal outcomes subsequent to GC withdrawal. RESULTS There were 365 patients with lupus nephritis included with a median follow-up of 109.5 (83.5,165.3) months in our cohort. A total of 21 patients (5.8 %) achieved successful GC discontinuation, with a median duration of 7.5 (3,10) years necessary for GC withdrawal. The average duration of GC reduction from 7.5 mg/d to complete withdrawal lasted for approximately 25 months (18,30). Patients in the GC-withdrawal group had a lower prevalence of nephrotic syndrome (NS) at onset (28.5 % vs. 47.3 %, P = 0.035), a higher prevalence of positive anti-double-stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA) antibody (85.7 % vs. 61.6 %, P = 0.028) and more severe endocapillary hypercellularity in the renal histopathology evaluations (3(2.5,3) vs. 3(2,3), P = 0.022). NS at disease onset was an independent risk factor to predict unachievable GC withdrawal (OR 0.296, 95 % CI (0.104,0.842), P = 0.022) by multivariate analysis. With a median follow-up of 34 (20,42) months, none of these patients had flares after GC withdrawal. CONCLUSIONS The discontinuation of GC therapy in LN patients with complete remission and a stable treatment regimen for at least 5 years was feasible without an increased risk of flares, ESKD or death. Low-dose GC withdrawal necessitates a prolonged duration of time and meticulous monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyuan Li
- Renal Division, Department of Medicine, Peking University First Hospital; Institute of Nephrology, Peking University, Beijing, China; Key laboratory of Renal Disease, Ministry of Health of China; Key laboratory of Chronic Kidney Disease Prevention and Treatment, Ministry of Education of China; Research Units of Diagnosis and Treatment of Immune-Mediated Kidney Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100034, PR China
| | - Ying Tan
- Renal Division, Department of Medicine, Peking University First Hospital; Institute of Nephrology, Peking University, Beijing, China; Key laboratory of Renal Disease, Ministry of Health of China; Key laboratory of Chronic Kidney Disease Prevention and Treatment, Ministry of Education of China; Research Units of Diagnosis and Treatment of Immune-Mediated Kidney Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100034, PR China.
| | - Feng Yu
- Department of Nephrology, Peking University International Hospital, Beijing 102206, PR China.
| | - Minghui Zhao
- Renal Division, Department of Medicine, Peking University First Hospital; Institute of Nephrology, Peking University, Beijing, China; Key laboratory of Renal Disease, Ministry of Health of China; Key laboratory of Chronic Kidney Disease Prevention and Treatment, Ministry of Education of China; Research Units of Diagnosis and Treatment of Immune-Mediated Kidney Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100034, PR China
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Abstract
ABSTRACT Drug therapy for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) aims to decrease symptom severity. Pharmacologic interventions are divided into four categories: antimalarials, glucocorticoids (GCs), immunosuppressants (ISs), and biological agents. Hydroxychloroquine, the most commonly used antimalarial treatment for this disease, is a mainstay in treating all patients with SLE. The multitude of adverse reactions of GCs has led clinicians to minimize their dosages or discontinue them whenever possible. To speed up the discontinuation or minimization of GCs, ISs are used for their steroid-sparing properties. Furthermore, certain ISs such as cyclophosphamide are recommended as maintenance agents to prevent flares and reduce the reoccurrence and severity of the disease state. Biological agents are recommended when other treatment options have failed due to intolerance or inefficacy. This article presents pharmacologic approaches for managing SLE in patients based on clinical practice guidelines and data from randomized controlled trials.
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Skácelová M. What is new in the treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus? VNITRNI LEKARSTVI 2022; 68:273-278. [PMID: 36283816 DOI: 10.36290/vnl.2022.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Systemic lupus erythematosus treatment is targeted to achieve remission or low disease activity and protection from disease flares. A number of immunosupresive drugs in combination with glucocorticoids are used for this purpose and there is an increased possibility of the use of biologic treatment, especially of belimumab. Calcineurin inhibitor voclosporin is a novelty in lupus nephritis treatment. Another novelty is anifrolumab, a biologic drug which inhibits the activity of type I interferons. An integral part of care is the prevention of late disease complications, especially cardiovascular risk management.
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