Tacrolimus in Children With Henoch-Schönlein Purpura Nephritis

Off-label Use of Tacrolimus in Children With Henoch-Schönlein Purpura Nephritis: Effectiveness and Safety

Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) is the most common vasculitis in children, with an incidence of approximately 10:100 000 children and a slight male predominance (male-to-female ratio of 1.5:1). Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis (HSPN) is the principal cause of morbidity for HSP and 1%-7% of HSPN patients may progress to renal failure or end-stage renal disease.

Immunosuppressive therapy has become the standard treatment in children with HSPN, however the use of these drugs are still mainly in an off-label manner in clinical practice. Tacrolimus, a calcineurin inhibitor, has been recently suggested in the treatment of HSPN in children. However, the evidence-based clinical data are still limited.

Given the potential benefits and unmet need in clinical practice, the purposes of this pilot study were to assess effectiveness and safety of tacrolimus in HSPN children and evaluate the potential impact of CYP3A5.

Inclusion Criteria:

HSPN children Aged less than 18 years; receiving tacrolimus as initial immunosuppressive therapy -

Exclusion Criteria:

Children received other immunosuppressive drug before the trial or other systemic trial drug therapy; Children had a concomitant medical condition, whose participation, in the opinion of the Investigator and/or medical advisor, may create an unacceptable additional risk.

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