• Xu-Jie Zhou, Fu-De Zhou, Su-Xia Wang, and Ming-Hui Zhao.
• Renal Division, Peking University First Hospital, Peking University Institute of Nephrology, Key Laboratory of Renal Disease, Ministry of Health of China, and Key Laboratory of Chronic Kidney Disease Prevention and Treatment, Peking University, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China.
• Medicine (Baltimore). 2018 Jun 1; 97 (25): e11184.

RationaleAs suggested by the 2012 KDIGO guidelines, persistent elevation of serum creatinine > 3.5 mg/dl (> 309 μmol/l) (or an estimated glomerular filtration rate < 30 ml/min per 1.73 m is one of contradictions for the use of immunosuppressive therapy in membranous nephropathy.Patient ConcernsA 45-year-old man with membranous nephropathy negative for serum anti-phospholipase-A2-receptor antibody, showed no response to corticosteroids and cyclophosphamide. He progressed to chronic kidney disease stage 4 (CKD4) under tacrolimus and relapsed after withdrawal.DiagnosesThe patient received repeated renal biopsy, comfirming the diagnosis of membranous nephropathy with progressive glomerular and tubulointerstitial scarring.InterventionsHe was treated with successfully four times with lose-dose (180 mg/m every 2-3 months) rituximab (RTX) depending on his B cell counts, aiming to remain at 0-5 cells/μl.OutcomesThe patient was followed-up for almost 6 years. He achieved a partial remission at 11 months and a complete remission of the nephritic range of proteinuria at 34 months following infusion of RTX. RTX was well tolerated and the patient's renal function improved. He had no edema and his dosage of corticosteroids could be discontinued.LessonsThis case strongly suggested that rituximab has promising therapeutic significance, even in patients progressing to CKD4.

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