• Abdullah A Al Salloum, Adi J Al Herbish, Mohammed A Al Hissi, Mohammed S Abdalla, Suha B Salim, Afrah H Farhat, Reem A Shagal, Abduldafaee Othman, Abdulelah Alshaiban, Mohamad-Hani A Temsah, Ayman A Al-Eyadhy, and Khalid A Alhasan.
• From the Department of Pediatrics (Al Salloum, Al Herbish, Al Hissi, Abdallah, Salim, Farhat, Shagal, Othman, Alshiban, Temsah, Al-Eyadhy, Alhasan), College of Medicine, King Saud University, King Saud University Medical City, and from the Department of Pediatric Kidney Transplant (Alhasan), Organ Transplant Center of Excellence, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
• Saudi Med J. 2022 Jul 1; 43 (7): 760764760-764.

ObjectivesTo present our experience of treating steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome (SDNS) in children with repeated doses of rituximab (RTX) with a relatively long follow-up, and to discuss the role of the histopathology type and previous immune-suppressor (IS) drugs on the outcome of these patients.MethodsThe patients included in this prospective study were children with SDNS who were in remission on a high-dose steroid or with additional IS drugs. All patients underwent renal biopsy before RTX treatment. Intravenous RTX was administered monthly at 375 mg/m2 for 4 doses. Response to treatment was defined as maintaining remission with no steroid-sparing agents or prednisone for one year.ResultsSeventeen (14 males) patients were enrolled. Approximately 76% had minimal change disease (MCD) and 3 (18%) patients had immunoglobulin M (IgM) nephropathy. Approximately 85% of MCD and 33% of IgM nephropathy showed complete response to RTX.ConclusionCompared to other IS used to treat SDNS, RTX showed a significant decrease in relapse rate with fewer side effects. The dose and interval should be modified according to the patient's characteristics, such as medical history, pathology type, and previous IS agents.Copyright: © Saudi Medical Journal.

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