The treatment period was 16 weeks, the initial dose, 5 mg, was unforcedly titrated to 10 mg, 20 mg and 40 mg after confirming tolerance at weeks 4, 8 and 12. The primary endpoint for efficacy was the change in the urinary protein/creatinine ratio from baseline to the end of treatment. The secondary endpoint was creatinine clearance (Ccr).

Inclusion Criteria:

• urinary protein/creatinine ratio in the 0.50 g/g to 3.50 g/g creatinine range
• normal sitting blood pressure values: systolic blood pressure of 100 mmHg or above but below 140 mmHg; diastolic blood pressure of 50 mmHg or above but less than 90 mmHg

Exclusion Criteria:

• treatment with corticosteroids or immunosuppressants
• treatment with antihypertensives (other than ARBs and ACE inhibitors)
• serum potassium level of 5.5 mEq/l or above
• serum creatinine level of 2.0 mg/dl or above