Effects of mycophenolate mofetil for patients with crescentic lupus nephritis

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects, relapse ratio and outcomes between mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and pulse intravenous cyclophosphamide (CTX) for the induction therapy in patients with crescentic lupus nephritis. METHODOLOGY: This is a retrospective, controlled study. Twenty-seven MMF therapeutic and twenty-five CTX therapeutic lupus patients with >or=50% crescent formation were enrolled in this study. The general conditions, clinicopathological findings, remission and relapse ratio, and outcomes of them were compared. RESULTS: There was no significant difference of general condition and clinicopathological findings between MMF and CTX group. At 12 months, the total remission ratio in MMF and CTX group were 73.1% and 69.6%, while the complete remission ratio in MMF group (53.8%) was significantly higher than that in CTX group (26.1%). The relapse ratio in MMF group (10.5%) was significantly lower than in CTX group (43.8%). Forty per cent of PR patients in CTX group suffered from relapse. Until June 2005, the patients in CTX group received a follow time with 38.5 +/- 21.2 (range 10 approximately 80) months, and in MMF group the follow time was 41.1 +/- 27.0 (range 12 approximately 90) months. Two patients in MMF group and two in CTX group entered into end stage renal failure. The side effect of infection was more significant in CTX group. CONCLUSION: Higher complete remission ratio and lower relapse ratio were observed in MMF group than in CTX group. The side effect of infection was more infrequent in MMF group, which showed preferable security of MMF.