1. Current standard of care treatment protocols for LN induction therapy.
Current standard of care treatment protocols for LN induction therapy. Patients with proliferative forms of LN are treated with oral corticosteroids, typically prednisone starting at 1 mg/kg per day and tapered over weeks to months. In severe disease with rapid deterioration of kidney function, high-dose intravenous methylprednisolone (0.25–1 g/d) is often given for 1–3 days preceding oral corticosteroids. In addition to corticosteroids one of four immunosuppressive regimens using cyclophosphamide or MMF is generally used. The NIH high-dose regimen consists of monthly intravenous pulses of cyclophosphamide dosed at 0.5–1 g/m2 for 6 months. Oral cyclophosphamide dosed at 1–1.5 mg/kg per day for 2–4 months provides a cumulative cyclophosphamide burden similar to the NIH regimen. In both cases cyclophosphamide is dosed based on nonobese body weight. The Euro-Lupus (low-dose) intravenous cyclophosphamide regimen is dosed at 500 mg every 2 weeks for six total doses. Cumulative cyclophosphamide for the Euro-Lupus regimen is 3 g, which is at least 50% lower than the NIH regimen. MMF is given for 6 months and dosed at 2–3 g/d.
Samir V. Parikh, and Brad H. Rovin JASN 2016;27:
©2016 by American Society of Nephrology