View clinical trials related to Glomerulonephritis, Membranous.
Filter by:The purpose of this study is to provide nephrologists with additional clinical evidence regarding the efficacy and safety of Acthar in subjects with treatment-resistant idiopathic membranous nephropathy. Approximately sixty (60) subjects will be randomized in this double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled, multicenter study comparing Acthar and Placebo administered 2 times per week for a 24-week treatment period followed by a 24-week observation period. The primary objective of this study is to assess the proportion of treatment-resistant subjects (defined as subjects who either have had no response or have suffered a relapse after achieving a partial response to their most recent standard treatment regimen) who have a complete or partial remission of proteinuria in nephrotic syndrome due to idiopathic membranous nephropathy after 24 weeks of treatment.
Cyclosporin decreases proteinuria and improve renal function in patients with idiopathic membranous nephropathy, but has a risk of side effects such as nephrotoxicity. The investigators plan to the study to evaluate whether mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) could be a reasonable alternative with fewer side effect.
Minimal change disease (MCD), focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), and Membranous nephropathy (MN), generate an enormous individual and societal financial burden, accounting for approximately 12% of prevalent end stage renal disease (ESRD) cases (2005) at an annual cost in the US of more than $3 billion. However, the clinical classification of these diseases is widely believed to be inadequate by the scientific community. Given the poor understanding of MCD/FSGS and MN biology, it is not surprising that the available therapies are imperfect. The therapies lack a clear biological basis, and as many families have experienced, they are often not beneficial, and in fact may be significantly toxic. Given these observations, it is essential that research be conducted that address these serious obstacles to effectively caring for patients. In response to a request for applications by the National Institutes of Health, Office of Rare Diseases (NIH, ORD) for the creation of Rare Disease Clinical Research Consortia, a number of affiliated universities joined together with The NephCure Foundation the NIDDK, the ORDR, and the University of Michigan in collaboration towards the establishment of a Nephrotic Syndrome (NS) Rare Diseases Clinical Research Consortium. Through this consortium the investigators hope to understand the fundamental biology of these rare diseases and aim to bank long-term observational data and corresponding biological specimens for researchers to access and further enrich.
The primary outcome of this study is to determine whether or not the B cell targeting with Rituximab is non-inferior or more effective than Cyclosporine in inducing long term remission of proteinuria.
The purpose of this study is: To explore the potential role of Tripterygium wilfordii plus steroid in the treatment of membranous nephropathy. To investigate the safety and tolerability of Tripterygium wilfordii plus steroid
Primary Hypothesis: Aldosterone breakthrough will occur at a far lower frequency during renin inhibition (0-10% over 9 months), alone or in combination with an ARB, compared to conventional ARB therapy (35-45% over 9 months). The investigators hypothesize that aldosterone breakthrough occurs due to accumulation of active precursor substances, most notably angiotensin II, produced in response to conventional RAAS blockade with ACEinhibitors and ARBs. The investigators believe that direct renin inhibition (DRI) should minimize this accumulation and therefore significantly lower or possibly eliminate the breakthrough effect. Interruption of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-Is) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), alone and in combination, has become a leading therapy to slow the progression of chronic heart and kidney disease. Both types of drugs inhibit the formation of aldosterone, a hormone, which has been shown to have harmful effects on patients with chronic heart and kidney disorders. This treatment is effective but not perfect since, even after an initial improvement, many patients become worse over the long term. This may be due to an unexpected increase in aldosterone, a phenomenon called "aldosterone breakthrough." The purpose of this study is to find out whether the use of a direct renin inhibitor (DRI) alone, or in combination with an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB), will lessen the occurrence of aldosterone breakthrough since direct renin inhibitors inhibit the formation of aldosterone at a very early step. This study will compare the effectiveness of adding Diovan (valsartan) or Tekturna (aliskiren) or a combination of Diovan and Tekturna to the usual antihypertensive treatment. The investigators will follow blood pressure, aldosterone levels, and urinary protein levels over 9 months to evaluate which of these therapies is most effective for treating hypertension in patients with proteinuric kidney disease.
The goal of this proposal is to conduct a pilot study to access the antiproteinuric effect of aliskiren in patients with idiopathic membranous nephropathy. Patients will be treated for 3 months with aliskiren aiming to achieve the maximum tolerated dose and blood pressure (>100 but <125 mmHg systolic BP >75% of the readings).
Membranous Nephropathy (MN) is an immune-mediated kidney disease that affects the glomerulus or the filter that removes toxins from the blood. Damage to the membrane that separates blood from urine results in loss of protein into the urine (proteinuria) and in some cases loss of kidney function.There is no standard specific treatment for MN. ACTH has a pronounced lipid-lowering effect in healthy individuals, in steroid-treated patients with renal disease and in hemodialysis patients Some studies suggest that prolonged synthetic ACTH therapy may represent an effective therapy in patients with idiopathic MN, more extensive randomized studies with longer follow-up are needed before therapeutic recommendations can be made. We propose to do a pilot study to test the hypothesis that biologic ACTH, a slow-release formulation of corticotropin extracted from porcine pituitary glands (H.P. Acthar gel) will be effective in reducing proteinuria and improving lipid profile in patients with idiopathic MN.
Membranous nephropathy (MN) may also be secondary to many other diseases (e.g., infections, drugs, neoplasms and autoimmune diseases). In this study, the presence of Helicobacter Pylori (H. pylori) antigen was investigated in renal tissue from needle biopsy samples, and the prevalence of H. pylori infection and the effects of H. pylori eradication on proteinuria level in patients with MN will be investigated.
Background: - Membranous nephropathy is associated with damage to the walls of the glomeruli, the small blood vessels in the kidneys that filter waste products from the blood. This damage causes leakage of blood proteins into the urine and is associated with low blood protein levels, high blood cholesterol values, and swelling of the legs. These problems can decrease or go away without treatment in about 25 percent of patients, but if they persist, some patients may experience impaired (or loss of) kidney function, blood vessel and heart disease, and a risk of forming blood clots in veins. - Kidney biopsies that show that antibodies have been deposited along the glomeruli suggest that specialized cells of the immune system, called B and T cells, are causing damage to the kidneys through their increased activity. To suppress the action of B and T cells and to decrease the harmful deposits in the kidneys, drug treatments are required. - Patients with membranous nephropathy are often treated with immunosuppressive drugs such as cyclosporine or cytoxan plus steroids that attempt to reduce or suppress the activity of the immune system, decrease antibody production, and reduce antibody deposits in the kidney. However, not everyone responds to these medications and the kidney disease can return in some patients when the drugs are stopped. Also, there are side effects associated with long term usage of these medications. Rituximab, a different immunosuppressant, has also been used for this purpose. Although cyclosporine and Rituximab have been used separately, they have not been tried in combination as a possible treatment for membranous nephropathy. Objectives: - To determine the safety and effectiveness of combining rituximab and cyclosporine to treat membranous nephropathy. Eligibility: - Individuals 18 years of age and older who have been diagnosed with membranous nephropathy based on a kidney biopsy done within the preceding 24 months, and who have had excess levels of protein in the urine for at least 6 months based on urine and blood tests. Design: - Potential participants will be screened with an initial clinic evaluation and full medical history. - Before the treatment, there will be a run-in period that will last up to 2 months. During this time, participants will be placed on a blood pressure lowering medication and will not take any other immunosuppressant medications. - Participants will visit the NIH clinical center for a baseline evaluation, four intravenous infusions of rituximab, and also at 1- to 6-month intervals throughout the study. - Active treatment period will involve a 6-month course of cyclosporine and a total of four doses of rituximab. Participants will take cyclosporine tablets twice daily, and have two infusions of rituximab given 2 weeks apart, After 6 months, the cyclosporine dose will slowly be decreased over several weeks and then completely discontinued. Participants will then receive another course (two doses 2 weeks apart) of rituximab, depending on results of blood work. - Participants will have frequent blood and urine tests performed to monitor the results of treatment and reduce the chance of side effects.