Tacrolimus in resistant primary membranous nephropathy--a report of 3 cases
Szeto, C.C.; Leung, C.B.; Lai, F.M.M.; Li, P.K.T.
Clinical Nephrology 59(4): 293-296
2003
ISSN/ISBN: 0301-0430 PMID: 12708570 Document Number: 559413
To study the efficacy and safety of tacrolimus in primary membranous nephropathy. We describe 3 patients with primary membranous nephropathy who were either resistant to or could not tolerate steroid with or without cytotoxic agents. They were treated with tacrolimus 0.2 mg/kg/day for 6 months. The dosage of tacrolimus was adjusted to keep a whole blood tacrolimus level of 5-10 ng/ml. One patient had almost complete disappearance of proteinuria while the other 2 had at least 50% reduction in proteinuria. Proteinuria increased again in 2 of the patients after tacrolimus was stopped, but in neither of them proteinuria returned to the pretreatment level 6 months after tacrolimus was stopped. We conclude that tacrolimus may have a modest efficacy in the treatment of resistant membranous nephropathy.