Clinical Outcome and Predictive Factors for Remission and Relapse of Proliferative Lupus Nephritis after Intravenous Cyclophosphamide Pulse Therapy

Park, Min Chan; Lee, Sang Won; Park, Yong Beom; Choi, Kyu Hun; Lee, Soo Kon

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to investigate the clinical outcomes of proliferative lupus nephritis and to identify the predictive factors of remission and relapse of proliferative lupus nephritis after intravenous cyclophosphamide (IVCYC) pulse therapy. MEHTODS: Seventy-four patients with proliferative lupus nephritis that had been diagnosed by renal biopsy and treated with IVCYC pulse therapy were studied. Their demographic data, clinical manifestations, laboratory findings, disease activity index, damage index, activity and chronicity indices of renal pathology, and treatment modalities were evaluated. Clinical outcomes of lupus nephritis were assessed by defined criteria.
RESULTS
Remission or response were achieved in 79.7% of patients with proliferative lupus nephritis (remission in 32.4% and response in 47.3%, respectively), and 30.5% of those with remission or response experienced relapse or flare of lupus nephritis (relapse in 20.8% of those with remission and flare in 37.1% of those with response) after IVCYC pulse therapy. High creatinine clearance at diagnosis of lupus nephritis, short lag time from diagnosis of lupus nephritis to initiation of immunosuppressive treatment, and long-term cyclophosphamide pulse therapy were the independent predictive factors for remission or response. Long lag time from completion of immunosuppressive treatment to onset of remission or response, and incomplete cyclophosphamide were the independent risk factors for relapse or flare of lupus nephritis.
CONCLUSION
Good renal function and early initiation of long-term IVCYC pulse therapy are important in induction of remission or response, while delayed remission or response and incomplete immunosuppressive treatment is strongly associated with poor outcome.