Alternate-day versus intermittent prednisone in frequently relapsing nephrotic syndrome. A report of "Arbetsgemeinschaft für Pädiatrische Nephrologie"

Lancet. 1979 Feb 24;1(8113):401-3.

Abstract

23 children with frequently relapsing minimal-change nephrotic syndrome were treated with alternate-day prednisone (35 mg/m2/48 h) and 25 other patients were treated with intermittent prednisone (40 mg/m2 on three consecutive days out of seven) for six months. This was followed by six months without any maintenance steroid treatment except when relapse required a short period of prednisone therapy until remission. The number of relapsers was significantly lower on alternate-day than on intermittent treatment. In the alternate-day group, the number of relapsers and the rate of relapse was significantly less before treatment withdrawal; in the intermittent group, only the number of relapsers was reduced. An alternate-day regiment is therefore preferable to the intermittent regimen in the interrupted steroid treatment of children with nephrotic syndrome.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Comparative Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Clinical Trials as Topic
  • Drug Administration Schedule
  • Drug Evaluation
  • Female
  • Germany, West
  • Humans
  • International Cooperation
  • Male
  • Nephrotic Syndrome / drug therapy*
  • Prednisone / administration & dosage*
  • Prospective Studies
  • Random Allocation
  • Recurrence
  • Remission, Spontaneous
  • Switzerland
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Prednisone