The treatment of relapsing primary nephrotic syndrome in children

Objective: To explore better therapy and reduce the rate of re-relapse of primary nephritic syndrome in children who had been treated with corticosteroids but relapsed. Methods: Eighty relapsers were enrolled from Jan. 1994 to Apr. 2000, who were randomly divided into two groups. The treatment group (n=39) had been treated with tripterysium glucosides for three months,with the control group (n=41) members were treated with cyclophosphmide (CTX) by intermission intravenous pulse, with total dose of CTX not being more than 150 mg/kg. Prednisone, meanwhile, was given to both groups. The total treatment period of prednisone was prolonged by 12-18 months. Results: After following up for 3-7 years, the re-relapse rates of both groups were observed. The re-relapse rate of the treatment group was 28.2% to 29.3% in the CTX-controlled group. The re-relapse rates between two groups were almost similar, and with no observed significant difference (P>0.05). The side effect of tripterysium glucosides was less than that of CTX. Conclusion: For the treatment of relapsing nephritic syndrome in children, the combination of tripterysium glucosides and prolonged corticosteroid therapy is as effective as the regimen of CTX plus prolonged use of prednisone.