Rituximab in Membranous Nephropathy

Completed · Phase 2/Phase 3

Conditions studied: Membranous Nephropathy

In brief

Membranous glomerulopathy (MN) is a common immune-mediated glomerular disease and the leading cause of nephrotic syndrome in Caucasian adults. 1 Because of its frequency, it remains the second or third cause of end-stage renal disease caused by a primary glomerulonephritis. 2 At presentation, 70% to 80% of patients have the nephrotic syndrome. 1, 3, 4 Proteinuria greater than 2.0 grams per day is found in \> 80% of patients at presentation, with greater than 10 grams found in as many as 30%. 5 The disease affects patients of all ages, but it is most often diagnosed in middle age with the peak incidence during the fourth and fifth decades of life. There is close to a two-to-one predominance of males to females diagnosed with the disease. Idiopathic MN affects all races. Current therapeutic options include corticosteroids alone or in combination with alkylating agents, cyclosporin A, and mycophenolate mofetil. The most widely recognized, and best-validated regimen is combination therapy with corticosteroids and an alkylating agent, but its use is associated with significant adverse effects. Recent meta-analysis confirmed that present day treatments are far from ideal 6 Thus, it should not come as a surprise that the outcome of MN has not substantially improved over the past 30 years, and up to 40% of patients still progress to end-stage renal failure. 7 Like in other glomerular diseases the amount of protein in the urine correlates well with long term prognosis. Thus, this parameter has been used in previous studies, and will be used in this study, as the primary indicator of effectiveness of therapy. We proposed to do a pilot study to test the hypothesis that selective B lymphocyte depletion will result in disappearance of pathogenic antibodies and induction of remission of the nephrotic syndrome in patients with idiopathic membranous nephropathy. Our population will be 10 adults. The study will be conducted between our Nephrology Divisions at Mayo Clinic Rochester, Jacksonville, and Scottsdale. We will enroll patients with a GFR 25 ml/min as estimated by creatinine clearance and proteinuria \> 4g/24h, while receiving an ACEI or ARB and with BP controlled of \< 130/80 mmHg. Patients will receive Rituximab 1g on Day 1 and 15. Patients followed for 1 years following completion of treatment. The primary outcome will be change in urinary protein excretion at 6 months. Secondary outcomes will be changes in serum albumin, serum lipid?s profile, the number of partial remissions, time to remission, and incidence of relapses. We will also perform a pharmacokinetic study to evaluate the effect of proteinuria on the bio-availability and effects of the drug.

Key facts

Study ID
NCT00425217
Run by
Mayo Clinic
People needed
15
Starts
2004-08-01
Expected to finish
2007-04-01
Last updated by the study team
2011-02-25

Who can join

Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

Where it is running

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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