Persistent Disease Activity in Patients With Long-Standing Glomerular Disease

Introduction

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Treatment Patterns Among Adults and Children With Membranous Nephropathy in the Cure Glomerulonephropathy Network (CureGN)

Introduction

The 2012 Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) Clinical Practice Guidelines for Glomerulonephritis recommend that patients with membranous nephropathy (MN) at risk for progression receive immunosuppressive therapy (IST), usually after 6 months of observation. A cyclophosphamide (CYC) or calcineurin inhibitor (CNI)–based regimen is recommended as first-line IST. However, the extent to which KDIGO recommendations are adopted in practice remains largely unknown.

Methods

We evaluated prescribing practice among patients with primary MN (diagnosed 2010–2018) enrolled in the Cure Glomerulonephropathy Network (CureGN) cohort study. We also evaluated the availability of testing for phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) in the contemporary era.

Results

Among 361 patients (324 adults and 37 children) with MN who were IST-naïve at biopsy and had at least 6 months of follow-up, 55% of adults and 58% of children initiated IST <6 months after biopsy. Of these, 1 in 5 had no indication for (i.e., urine protein-to-creatinine ratio [uPCR] <4 g/g) or an apparent contraindication to (i.e., an estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] <30 ml/min per 1.73 m²) IST. As first-line IST, half of treated patients received either CYC (16% of adults; 0% of children) or a CNI (40% and 46%, respectively), whereas 1 in 5 received corticosteroid monotherapy (20% and 27%, respectively) and 1 in 6 rituximab (15% and 15%, respectively). More than 80% of surveyed centers had access to PLA2R testing.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that providers are not aware of, or lack confidence in, current KDIGO guidelines for MN. Treatment patterns observed in this cohort might critically inform the drafting of planned updates to KDIGO guidelines.

Hypoxia-Inducible Factor Activators in Renal Anemia: Current Clinical Experience

Prolyl hydroxylase domain oxygen sensors are dioxygenases that regulate the activity of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), which controls renal and hepatic erythropoietin production and coordinates erythropoiesis with iron metabolism. Small molecule inhibitors of prolyl hydroxylase domain dioxygenases (HIF-PHI [prolyl hydroxylase inhibitor]) stimulate the production of endogenous erythropoietin and improve iron metabolism resulting in efficacious anemia management in patients with CKD. Three oral HIF-PHIs-daprodustat, roxadustat, and vadadustat-have now advanced to global phase III clinical development culminating in the recent licensing of roxadustat for oral anemia therapy in China. Here, we survey current clinical experience with HIF-PHIs, discuss potential therapeutic advantages, and deliberate over safety concerns regarding long-term administration in patients with renal anemia.

Clinical Characteristics and Treatment Patterns of Children and Adults With IgA Nephropathy or IgA Vasculitis: Findings From the CureGN Study

Introduction

The Cure Glomerulonephropathy Network (CureGN) is a 66-center longitudinal observational study of patients with biopsy-confirmed minimal change disease, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, membranous nephropathy, or IgA nephropathy (IgAN), including IgA vasculitis (IgAV). This study describes the clinical characteristics and treatment patterns in the IgA cohort, including comparisons between IgAN versus IgAV and adult versus pediatric patients.

Methods

Patients with a diagnostic kidney biopsy within 5 years of screening were eligible to join CureGN. This is a descriptive analysis of clinical and treatment data collected at the time of enrollment.

Results

A total of 667 patients (506 IgAN, 161 IgAV) constitute the IgAN/IgAV cohort (382 adults, 285 children). At biopsy, those with IgAV were younger (13.0 years vs. 29.6 years, P < 0.001), more frequently white (89.7% vs. 78.9%, P = 0.003), had a higher estimated glomerular filtration rate (103.5 vs. 70.6 ml/min per 1.73 m², P < 0.001), and lower serum albumin (3.4 vs. 3.8 g/dl, P < 0.001) than those with IgAN. Adult and pediatric individuals with IgAV were more likely than those with IgAN to have been treated with immunosuppressive therapy at or prior to enrollment (79.5% vs. 54.0%, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

This report highlights clinical differences between IgAV and IgAN and between children and adults with these diagnoses. We identified differences in treatment with immunosuppressive therapies by disease type. This description of baseline characteristics will serve as a foundation for future CureGN studies.