Rituximab or cyclosporine a for the treatment of membranous nephropathy: Economic evaluation of the MENTOR trial.

BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS: The MENTOR trial (MEmbranous Nephropathy Trial Of Rituximab) showed that rituximab was noninferior to cyclosporine in inducing complete or partial remission of proteinuria and was superior in maintaining proteinuria remission. However, the cost of rituximab may prohibit first-line use for some patients and health care payers. METHODS: A Markov model was used to determine the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of rituximab compared with cyclosporine for the treatment membranous nephropathy from the perspective of a health care payer with a life-time time horizon. The model was informed by data from the MENTOR trial where possible; additional parameters including cost and utility inputs were obtained from the literature. Sensitivity analyses were performed to evaluate the impact of reduced cost biosimilar rituximab. RESULTS: Rituximab for the treatment of membranous nephropathy was cost-effective (assuming a willingness-to-pay threshold of ${\$}$50 000 per quality adjusted life year (QALY) gained; ${\$}$US 2021) compared with cyclosporine, with an ICER of ${\$}$8 373/QALY over a lifetime time horizon. The incremental cost of rituximab therapy was ${\$}$28 007 with an additional 3.34 QALYs compared with cyclosporine. Lower cost of rituximab biosimilars resulted in a more favourable ICER, and in some cases resulted in rituximab being dominant (lower cost and great benefit) compared to cyclosporine. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the greater cost of rituximab, it may be a cost-effective option for the treatment of membranous nephropathy when compared with cyclosporine. The cost-effectiveness of rituximab is further improved with the use of less expensive biosimilars.

Results from part A of the multi-center, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled NefIgArd trial, which evaluated targeted-release formulation of budesonide for the treatment of primary immunoglobulin A nephropathy.

The therapeutic potential of a novel, targeted-release formulation of oral budesonide (Nefecon) for the treatment of IgA nephropathy (IgAN) was first demonstrated by the phase 2b NEFIGAN trial. To verify these findings, the phase 3 NefigArd trial tested the efficacy and safety of nine months of treatment with Nefecon (16 mg/d) versus placebo in adult patients with primary IgAN at risk of progressing to kidney failure (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03643965). NefIgArd was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled two-part trial. In Part A, 199 patients with IgAN were treated with Nefecon or placebo for nine months and observed for an additional three months. The primary endpoint for Part A was 24-hour urine protein-to-creatinine ratio (UPCR) after nine months. Secondary efficacy outcomes evaluated included estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) at nine and 12 months and the UPCR at 12 months. At nine months, UPCR was 27% lower in the Nefecon group compared with placebo, along with a benefit in eGFR preservation corresponding to a 3.87 ml/min/1.73 m2 difference versus placebo (both significant). Nefecon was well-tolerated, and treatment-emergent adverse events were mostly mild to moderate in severity and reversible. Part B is ongoing and will be reported on later. Thus, NefIgArd is the first phase 3 IgA nephropathy trial to show clinically important improvements in UPCR and eGFR and confirms the findings from the phase 2b NEFIGAN study.

Precision nephrology identified tumor necrosis factor activation variability in minimal change disease and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis.

The diagnosis of nephrotic syndrome relies on clinical presentation and descriptive patterns of injury on kidney biopsies, but not specific to underlying pathobiology. Consequently, there are variable rates of progression and response to therapy within diagnoses. Here, an unbiased transcriptomic-driven approach was used to identify molecular pathways which are shared by subgroups of patients with either minimal change disease (MCD) or focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). Kidney tissue transcriptomic profile-based clustering identified three patient subgroups with shared molecular signatures across independent, North American, European, and African cohorts. One subgroup had significantly greater disease progression (Hazard Ratio 5.2) which persisted after adjusting for diagnosis and clinical measures (Hazard Ratio 3.8). Inclusion in this subgroup was retained even when clustering was limited to those with less than 25% interstitial fibrosis. The molecular profile of this subgroup was largely consistent with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) pathway activation. Two TNF pathway urine markers were identified, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), that could be used to predict an individual's TNF pathway activation score. Kidney organoids and single-nucleus RNA-sequencing of participant kidney biopsies, validated TNF-dependent increases in pathway activation score, transcript and protein levels of TIMP-1 and MCP-1, in resident kidney cells. Thus, molecular profiling identified a subgroup of patients with either MCD or FSGS who shared kidney TNF pathway activation and poor outcomes. A clinical trial testing targeted therapies in patients selected using urinary markers of TNF pathway activation is ongoing.

Mayo Clinic consensus report on membranous nephropathy: proposal for a novel classification.

Membranous nephropathy (MN) is a pattern of injury caused by autoantibodies binding to specific target antigens, with accumulation of immune complexes along the subepithelial region of glomerular basement membranes. The past 20 years have brought revolutionary advances in the understanding of MN, particularly via the discovery of novel target antigens and their respective autoantibodies. These discoveries have challenged the traditional classification of MN into primary and secondary forms. At least 14 target antigens have been identified, accounting for 80%-90% of cases of MN. Many of the forms of MN associated with these novel MN target antigens have distinctive clinical and pathologic phenotypes. The Mayo Clinic consensus report on MN proposes a 2-step classification of MN. The first step, when possible, is identification of the target antigen, based on a multistep algorithm and using a combination of serology, staining of the kidney biopsy tissue by immunofluorescence or immunohistochemistry, and/or mass spectrometry methodology. The second step is the search for a potential underlying disease or associated condition, which is particularly relevant when knowledge of the target antigen is available to direct it. The meeting acknowledges that the resources and equipment required to perform the proposed testing may not be generally available. However, the meeting consensus was that the time has come to adopt an antigen-based classification of MN because this approach will allow for accurate and specific MN diagnosis, with significant implications for patient management and targeted treatment.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Acute Care Utilization Among Patients With Glomerular Disease.

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE: The effects of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status (SES), and disease severity on acute care utilization in patients with glomerular disease are unknown. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING & PARTICIPANTS: 1,456 adults and 768 children with biopsy-proven glomerular disease enrolled in the Cure Glomerulonephropathy (CureGN) cohort. EXPOSURE: Race and ethnicity as a participant-reported social factor. OUTCOME: Acute care utilization defined as hospitalizations or emergency department visits. ANALYTICAL APPROACH: Multivariable recurrent event proportional rate models were used to estimate associations between race and ethnicity and acute care utilization. RESULTS: Black or Hispanic participants had lower SES and more severe glomerular disease than White or Asian participants. Acute care utilization rates were 45.6, 29.5, 25.8, and 19.2 per 100 person-years in Black, Hispanic, White, and Asian adults, respectively, and 55.8, 42.5, 40.8, and 13.0, respectively, for children. Compared with the White race (reference group), Black race was significantly associated with acute care utilization in adults (rate ratio [RR], 1.76 [95% CI, 1.37-2.27]), although this finding was attenuated after multivariable adjustment (RR, 1.31 [95% CI, 1.03-1.68]). Black race was not significantly associated with acute care utilization in children; Asian race was significantly associated with lower acute care utilization in children (RR, 0.32 [95% CI 0.14-0.70]); no significant associations between Hispanic ethnicity and acute care utilization were identified. LIMITATIONS: We used proxies for SES and lacked direct information on income, household unemployment, or disability. CONCLUSIONS: Significant differences in acute care utilization rates were observed across racial and ethnic groups in persons with prevalent glomerular disease, although many of these difference were explained by differences in SES and disease severity. Measures to combat socioeconomic disadvantage in Black patients and to more effectively prevent and treat glomerular disease are needed to reduce disparities in acute care utilization, improve patient wellbeing, and reduce health care costs.

Quantifying the benefits of remission duration in focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Although the clinical benefit of obtaining a remission in proteinuria in nephrotic patients with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is recognized, the long-term value of maintaining it and the impact of relapses on outcome are not well described. METHODS: We examined the impact of remissions and relapses on either a 50% decline in kidney function or end-stage kidney disease (combined event) using time-dependent and landmark analyses in a retrospective study of all patients from the Toronto Glomerulonephritis Registry with biopsy-proven FSGS, established nephrotic-range proteinuria and at least one remission. RESULTS: In the 203 FSGS individuals with a remission, 89 never relapsed and 114 experienced at least one relapse. The first recurrence was often followed by a repeating pattern of remission and relapse. The 10-year survival from a combined event was 15% higher in those with no relapse versus those with any relapse. This smaller than anticipated difference was related to the favourable outcome in individuals whose relapses quickly remitted. Relapsers who ultimately ended in remission (n = 46) versus in relapse (n = 68) experienced a 91% and 32% 7-year event survival (P < .001), respectively. Using time-varying survival analyses that considered all periods of remission and relapse in every patient and adjusting for each period's initial estimated glomerular filtration rate, the state of relapse was associated with a 2.17 (95% confidence interval 1.32-3.58; P = .002) greater risk of experiencing a combined event even in this FSGS remission cohort. CONCLUSION: In FSGS, unless remissions are maintained and relapses avoided, long-term renal survival remains poor. Treatment strategies addressing remission duration remain poorly defined and should be an essential question in future trials.

Application of the International IgA Nephropathy Prediction Tool one or two years post-biopsy.

The International IgA Nephropathy (IgAN) Prediction Tool is the preferred method in the 2021 KDIGO guidelines to predict, at the time of kidney biopsy, the risk of a 50% drop in estimated glomerular filtration rate or kidney failure. However, it is not known if the Prediction Tool can be accurately applied after a period of observation post-biopsy. Using an international multi-ethnic derivation cohort of 2,507 adults with IgAN, we updated the Prediction Tool for use one year after biopsy, and externally validated this in a cohort of 722 adults. The original Prediction Tool applied at one-year without modification had a coefficient of variation (R2) of 55% and 54% and four-year concordance (C statistic) of 0.82 but poor calibration with under-prediction of risk (integrated calibration index (ICI) 1.54 and 2.11, with and without race, respectively). Our updated Prediction Tool had a better model fit with higher R2 (61% and 60%), significant increase in four-year C-statistic (0.87 and 0.86) and better four-year calibration with lower ICI (0.75 and 0.35). On external validation, the updated Prediction Tool had similar R2 (60% and 58%) and four-year C-statistics (both 0.85) compared to the derivation analysis, with excellent four-year calibration (ICI 0.62 and 0.56). This updated Prediction Tool had similar prediction performance when used two years after biopsy. Thus, the original Prediction Tool should be used only at the time of biopsy whereas our updated Prediction Tool can be used for risk stratification one or two years post-biopsy.

Rituximab or Cyclosporine in the Treatment of Membranous Nephropathy.

BACKGROUND: B-cell anomalies play a role in the pathogenesis of membranous nephropathy. B-cell depletion with rituximab may therefore be noninferior to treatment with cyclosporine for inducing and maintaining a complete or partial remission of proteinuria in patients with this condition. METHODS: We randomly assigned patients who had membranous nephropathy, proteinuria of at least 5 g per 24 hours, and a quantified creatinine clearance of at least 40 ml per minute per 1.73 m2 of body-surface area and had been receiving angiotensin-system blockade for at least 3 months to receive intravenous rituximab (two infusions, 1000 mg each, administered 14 days apart; repeated at 6 months in case of partial response) or oral cyclosporine (starting at a dose of 3.5 mg per kilogram of body weight per day for 12 months). Patients were followed for 24 months. The primary outcome was a composite of complete or partial remission of proteinuria at 24 months. Laboratory variables and safety were also assessed. RESULTS: A total of 130 patients underwent randomization. At 12 months, 39 of 65 patients (60%) in the rituximab group and 34 of 65 (52%) in the cyclosporine group had a complete or partial remission (risk difference, 8 percentage points; 95% confidence interval [CI], -9 to 25; P = 0.004 for noninferiority). At 24 months, 39 patients (60%) in the rituximab group and 13 (20%) in the cyclosporine group had a complete or partial remission (risk difference, 40 percentage points; 95% CI, 25 to 55; P<0.001 for both noninferiority and superiority). Among patients in remission who tested positive for anti-phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) antibodies, the decline in autoantibodies to anti-PLA2R was faster and of greater magnitude and duration in the rituximab group than in the cyclosporine group. Serious adverse events occurred in 11 patients (17%) in the rituximab group and in 20 (31%) in the cyclosporine group (P = 0.06). CONCLUSIONS: Rituximab was noninferior to cyclosporine in inducing complete or partial remission of proteinuria at 12 months and was superior in maintaining proteinuria remission up to 24 months. (Funded by Genentech and the Fulk Family Foundation; MENTOR ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01180036.).

Improving Clinical Trials for Anticomplement Therapies in Complement-Mediated Glomerulopathies: Report of a Scientific Workshop Sponsored by the National Kidney Foundation.

Blocking the complement system as a therapeutic strategy has been proposed for numerous glomerular diseases but presents myriad questions and challenges, not the least of which is demonstrating efficacy and safety. In light of these potential issues and because there are an increasing number of anticomplement therapy trials either planned or under way, the National Kidney Foundation facilitated an all-virtual scientific workshop entitled "Improving Clinical Trials for Anti-Complement Therapies in Complement-Mediated Glomerulopathies." Attended by patient representatives and experts in glomerular diseases, complement physiology, and clinical trial design, the aim of this workshop was to develop standards applicable for designing and conducting clinical trials for anticomplement therapies across a wide spectrum of complement-mediated glomerulopathies. Discussions focused on study design, participant risk assessment and mitigation, laboratory measurements and biomarkers to support these studies, and identification of optimal outcome measures to detect benefit, specifically for trials in complement-mediated diseases. This report summarizes the discussions from this workshop and outlines consensus recommendations.

Quantifying Duration of Proteinuria Remission and Association with Clinical Outcome in IgA Nephropathy.

BACKGROUND: On the basis of findings of observational studies and a meta-analysis, proteinuria reduction has been proposed as a surrogate outcome in IgA nephropathy. How long a reduction in proteinuria needs to be maintained to mitigate the long-term risk of disease progression is unknown. METHODS: In this retrospective multiethnic cohort of adult patients with IgA nephropathy, we defined proteinuria remission as a ≥25% reduction in proteinuria from the peak value after biopsy, and an absolute reduction in proteinuria to <1 g/d. The exposure of interest was the total duration of first remission, treated as a time-varying covariate using longitudinal proteinuria measurements. We used time-dependent Cox proportional hazards regression models to quantify the association between the duration of remission and the primary outcome (ESKD or a 50% reduction in eGFR). RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 3.9 years, 274 of 1864 patients (14.7%) experienced the primary outcome. The relationship between duration of proteinuria remission and outcome was nonlinear. Each 3 months in sustained remission up to approximately 4 years was associated with an additional 9% reduction in the risk of disease progression (hazard ratio [HR], 0.91; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.89 to 0.93). Thereafter, each additional 3 months in remission was associated with a smaller, nonsignificant risk reduction (HR, 0.99; 95% CI, 0.96 to 1.03). These findings were robust to multivariable adjustment and consistent across clinical and histologic subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support the use of proteinuria as a surrogate outcome in IgA nephropathy, but additionally demonstrate the value of quantifying the duration of proteinuria remission when estimating the risk of hard clinical endpoints.

Effect of Oral Methylprednisolone on Decline in Kidney Function or Kidney Failure in Patients With IgA Nephropathy: The TESTING Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: The effect of glucocorticoids on major kidney outcomes and adverse events in IgA nephropathy has been uncertain. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and adverse effects of methylprednisolone in patients with IgA nephropathy at high risk of kidney function decline. Design, Setting, and Participants: An international, multicenter, double-blind, randomized clinical trial that enrolled 503 participants with IgA nephropathy, proteinuria greater than or equal to 1 g per day, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 20 to 120 mL/min/1.73 m2 after at least 3 months of optimized background care from 67 centers in Australia, Canada, China, India, and Malaysia between May 2012 and November 2019, with follow-up until June 2021. Interventions: Participants were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive oral methylprednisolone (initially 0.6-0.8 mg/kg/d, maximum 48 mg/d, weaning by 8 mg/d/mo; n = 136) or placebo (n = 126). After 262 participants were randomized, an excess of serious infections was identified, leading to dose reduction (0.4 mg/kg/d, maximum 32 mg/d, weaning by 4 mg/d/mo) and addition of antibiotic prophylaxis for pneumocystis pneumonia for subsequent participants (121 in the oral methylprednisolone group and 120 in the placebo group). Main Outcomes And Measures: The primary end point was a composite of 40% decline in eGFR, kidney failure (dialysis, transplant), or death due to kidney disease. There were 11 secondary outcomes, including kidney failure. Results: Among 503 randomized patients (mean age, 38 years; 198 [39%] women; mean eGFR, 61.5 mL/min/1.73 m2; mean proteinuria, 2.46 g/d), 493 (98%) completed the trial. Over a mean of 4.2 years of follow-up, the primary outcome occurred in 74 participants (28.8%) in the methylprednisolone group compared with 106 (43.1%) in the placebo group (hazard ratio [HR], 0.53 [95% CI, 0.39-0.72]; P < .001; absolute annual event rate difference, -4.8% per year [95% CI, -8.0% to -1.6%]). The effect on the primary outcome was seen across each dose compared with the relevant participants in the placebo group recruited to each regimen (P for heterogeneity = .11): full-dose HR, 0.58 (95% CI, 0.41-0.81); reduced-dose HR, 0.27 (95% CI, 0.11-0.65). Of the 11 prespecified secondary end points, 9 showed significant differences in favor of the intervention, including kidney failure (50 [19.5%] vs 67 [27.2%]; HR, 0.59 [95% CI, 0.40-0.87]; P = .008; annual event rate difference, -2.9% per year [95% CI, -5.4% to -0.3%]). Serious adverse events were more frequent with methylprednisolone vs placebo (28 [10.9%] vs 7 [2.8%] patients with serious adverse events), primarily with full-dose therapy compared with its matching placebo (22 [16.2%] vs 4 [3.2%]). Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients with IgA nephropathy at high risk of progression, treatment with oral methylprednisolone for 6 to 9 months, compared with placebo, significantly reduced the risk of the composite outcome of kidney function decline, kidney failure, or death due to kidney disease. However, the incidence of serious adverse events was increased with oral methylprednisolone, mainly with high-dose therapy. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01560052.

Updating the International IgA Nephropathy Prediction Tool for use in children.

Although IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is a common cause of glomerulonephritis in children, the absence of a method to predict disease progression limits personalized risk-based treatment decisions. The adult International IgAN Prediction Tool comprises two validated Cox survival models that predict a 50% decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) or end stage kidney disease (ESKD) using clinical risk factors and Oxford MEST histology scores. Here, we updated the Prediction Tool for use in children using a multiethnic international cohort of 1,060 children with IgAN followed into adulthood. The updated pediatric Prediction Tool had better model fit than the original adult tool with lower Akaike Information Criterion, higher R2D and similar C-statistics. However, calibration showed very poor agreement between predicted and observed risks likely due to the observed disease trajectory in children. Therefore, the Tool was updated using a secondary outcome of a 30% reduction in eGFR or ESKD, resulting in better R2D (30.3%/22.2%) and similar C-statistics (0.74/0.68) compared to the adult tool but with good calibration. The trajectory of eGFR over time in children differed from adults being highly non-linear with an increase until 18 years old followed by a linear decline similar to that of adults. A higher predicted risk was associated with a smaller increase in eGFR followed by a more rapid decline, suggesting that children at risk of a 30% decrease in eGFR will eventually experience a larger 50% decrease in eGFR when followed into adulthood. As such, these two outcomes are analogous between pediatric and adult Prediction Tools. Thus, our pediatric Prediction Tool can accurately predict the risk of a 30% decline in eGFR or ESKD in children with IgAN.

The Therapeutic Evaluation of Steroids in IgA Nephropathy Global (TESTING) Study: Trial Design and Baseline Characteristics.

INTRODUCTION: Despite optimal current care, up to 30% of individuals suffering from immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) will develop kidney failure requiring dialysis or kidney transplantation. The Therapeutic Evaluation of STeroids in IgA Nephropathy Global (TESTING) study was designed to assess the benefits and risks of steroids in people with IgAN. We report the trial design as well as the baseline characteristics of study participants. METHODS: It is an investigator-initiated, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial of individuals with kidney biopsy-confirmed IgAN, proteinuria ≥1 g/day, and an estimated GFR of 20-120 mL/min/1.73 m2, following at least 3 months of standard of care including maximum labelled (or tolerated) dose of renin-angiotensin system blockade. The original study design randomized participants 1:1 to oral methylprednisolone (0.6-0.8 mg/kg/day, maximum 48 mg/day) for 2 months, with subsequent weaning by 8 mg/day/month over 6-8 months, or matching placebo. The intervention was modified in 2016 (due to an excess of serious infection) to low-dose methylprednisolone (0.4 mg/kg/day, maximum 32 mg/day) for 2 months, followed by weaning by 4 mg/day/month over 6-9 months, or matching placebo. Participants recruited after 2016 also received prophylaxis against Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia during the first 12 weeks of treatment. RESULTS: The study recruitment period extended from May 2012 to November 2019. By the time the excess of serious infections was observed, 262 participants had been randomized to the original full-dose treatment algorithm, and an interim analysis was reported in 2016. Subsequently, 241 additional participants were randomized to a revised low-dose protocol, for a total of 503 participants from China (373), India (78), Canada (24), Australia (18), and Malaysia (10). The mean age of randomized participants was 38, 39% were female, mean eGFR at randomization was 62.7 mL/min/1.73 m2, and mean 24-h urine protein 2.54 g. The primary endpoint is a composite of 40% eGFR decline from baseline or kidney failure (dialysis, transplantation, or death due to kidney disease), and participants will be followed until the primary outcome has been observed in at least 160 randomized participants. Analyses will also be made across predefined subgroups. Effects on eGFR slope and albuminuria will also be assessed overall, as well as by the steroid dosing regimen. CONCLUSIONS: The TESTING study (combined full and low dose) will define the benefits of corticosteroid use on major kidney outcomes, as well as the risks of therapy, and provide data on the relative effects of different doses, in individuals with high-risk IgAN.

Improving treatment decisions using personalized risk assessment from the International IgA Nephropathy Prediction Tool.

Immunosuppression in IgA nephropathy (IgAN) should be reserved for patients at high-risk of disease progression, which KDIGO guidelines determine based solely on proteinuria 1g or more/day. To investigate if treatment decisions can be more accurately accomplished using individualized risk from the International IgAN Prediction Tool, we simulated allocation of a hypothetical immunosuppression therapy in an international cohort of adults with IgAN. Two decision rules for treatment were applied based on proteinuria of 1g or more/day or predicted risk from the Prediction Tool above a threshold probability. An appropriate decision was defined as immunosuppression allocated to patients experiencing the primary outcome (50% decline in eGFR or ESKD) and withheld otherwise. The net benefit and net reduction in treatment are the proportion of patients appropriately allocated to receive or withhold immunosuppression, adjusted for the harm from inappropriate decisions, calculated for all threshold probabilities from 0-100%. Of 3299 patients followed for 5.1 years, 522 (15.8%) experienced the primary outcome. Treatment allocation based solely on proteinuria of 1g or more/day had a negative net benefit (was harmful) because immunosuppression was increasingly allocated to patients without progressive disease. Compared to using proteinuria, treatment allocation using the Prediction Tool had a larger net benefit up to 23.4% (95% confidence interval 21.5-25.2%) and a larger net reduction in treatment up to 35.1% (32.3-37.8%). Thus, allocation of immunosuppression to high-risk patients with IgAN can be substantially improved using the Prediction Tool compared to using proteinuria.

Is there long-term value of pathology scoring in immunoglobulin A nephropathy? A validation study of the Oxford Classification for IgA Nephropathy (VALIGA) update.

BACKGROUND: It is unknown whether renal pathology lesions in immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) correlate with renal outcomes over decades of follow-up. METHODS: In 1130 patients of the original Validation Study of the Oxford Classification for IgA Nephropathy (VALIGA) cohort, we studied the relationship between the MEST score (mesangial hypercellularity, M; endocapillary hypercellularity, E; segmental glomerulosclerosis, S; tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis, T), crescents (C) and other histological lesions with both a combined renal endpoint [50% estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) loss or kidney failure] and the rate of eGFR decline over a follow-up period extending to 35 years [median 7 years (interquartile range 4.1-10.8)]. RESULTS: In this extended analysis, M1, S1 and T1-T2 lesions as well as the whole MEST score were independently related with the combined endpoint (P < 0.01), and there was no effect modification by age for these associations, suggesting that they may be valid in children and in adults as well. Only T lesions were associated with the rate of eGFR loss in the whole cohort, whereas C showed this association only in patients not treated with immunosuppression. In separate prognostic analyses, the whole set of pathology lesions provided a gain in discrimination power over the clinical variables alone, which was similar at 5 years (+2.0%) and for the whole follow-up (+1.8%). A similar benefit was observed for risk reclassification analyses (+2.7% and +2.4%). CONCLUSION: Long-term follow-up analyses of the VALIGA cohort showed that the independent relationship between kidney biopsy findings and the risk of progression towards kidney failure in IgAN remains unchanged across all age groups and decades after the renal biopsy.

How to optimize the design and implementation of risk prediction tools: focus group with patients with IgA nephropathy.

BACKGROUND: IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is a common type of chronic immune-mediated kidney disease with variable risk of progression to end-stage kidney disease. Risk stratification helps clinicians weight the potential risks and benefits of immunosuppressive therapy for individual patients, and can inform patient-centred communication. No prior research examined barriers of risk predication tools (RPT) specific to IgAN. The purpose of this study was to explore determinants (facilitators, barriers) of RPT use from the patient perspective. METHODS: We conducted a single focus group with English-speaking adults aged 18 or older with biopsy-proven IgAN. We asked about how they would use an IgAN RPT, and how to improve its design and implementation. We analyzed the transcript using constant comparison to inductively derive themes, and complied with qualitative research reporting criteria. RESULTS: The 5 participants were Caucasian men who varied in age from 35 to 55. The glomerular filtration rate ranged from 29 to 71 mL/min/1.73m2, and proteinuria ranged from 0.36 to 1.41 g/d. Participants identified both benefits and harms of the risk score. They said physicians should first ask patients for permission to use it. To make it more useful, participants offered suggestions to enhance RTP design: visual display, information on how to interpret the risk score, risk categories, health implications, modifiable risk factors, multiple scenarios, and comparison with similar patients. They offered additional suggestions to enhance RPT implementation: it should not replace patient-provider discussion, it should be accompanied by self-management education so that patients can take an active role in their health. Participants appreciated information from members of the multidisciplinary team in addition to physicians. Participants also said that physicians should monitor patient emotions or concerns on an ongoing basis. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with IgAN identified numerous ways to enhance the design and use of an RPT. Others could use this information to design and implement RPTs for patients with other conditions, but should employ user-centred design to develop RPTs that address patient preferences.

Management and treatment of glomerular diseases (part 2): conclusions from a Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) Controversies Conference.

In November 2017, the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) initiative brought a diverse panel of experts in glomerular diseases together to discuss the 2012 KDIGO glomerulonephritis guideline in the context of new developments and insights that had occurred over the years since its publication. During this KDIGO Controversies Conference on Glomerular Diseases, the group examined data on disease pathogenesis, biomarkers, and treatments to identify areas of consensus and areas of controversy. This report summarizes the discussions on primary podocytopathies, lupus nephritis, anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated nephritis, complement-mediated kidney diseases, and monoclonal gammopathies of renal significance.

Management and treatment of glomerular diseases (part 1): conclusions from a Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) Controversies Conference.

The Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) initiative organized a Controversies Conference on glomerular diseases in November 2017. The conference focused on the 2012 KDIGO guideline with the aim of identifying new insights into nomenclature, pathogenesis, diagnostic work-up, and, in particular, therapy of glomerular diseases since the guideline's publication. It was the consensus of the group that most guideline recommendations, in particular those dealing with therapy, will need to be revisited by the guideline-updating Work Group. This report covers general management of glomerular disease, IgA nephropathy, and membranous nephropathy.

Reproducibility of the Oxford classification of immunoglobulin A nephropathy, impact of biopsy scoring on treatment allocation and clinical relevance of disagreements: evidence from the VALidation of IGA study cohort.

BACKGROUND: The VALidation of IGA (VALIGA) study investigated the utility of the Oxford Classification of immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) in 1147 patients from 13 European countries. Methods. Biopsies were scored by local pathologists followed by central review in Oxford. We had two distinct objectives: to assess how closely pathology findings were associated with the decision to give corticosteroid/immunosuppressive (CS/IS) treatments, and to determine the impact of differences in MEST-C scoring between central and local pathologists on the clinical value of the Oxford Classification. We tested for each lesion the associations between the type of agreement (local and central pathologists scoring absent, local present and central absent, local absent and central present, both scoring present) with the initial clinical assessment, as well as long-term outcomes in those patients who did not receive CS/IS. RESULTS: All glomerular lesions (M, E, C and S) assessed by local pathologists were independently associated with the decision to administer CS/IS therapy, while the severity of tubulointerstitial lesions was not. Reproducibility between local and central pathologists was moderate for S (segmental sclerosis) and T (tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis), and poor for M (mesangial hypercellularity), E (endocapillary hypercellularity) and C (crescents). Local pathologists found statistically more of each lesion, except for the S lesion, which was more frequent with central review. Disagreements were more likely to occur when the proportion of glomeruli affected was low. The M lesion, assessed by central pathologists, correlated better with the severity of the disease at presentation and discriminated better with outcomes. In contrast, the E lesion, evaluated by local pathologists, correlated better with the clinical presentation and outcomes when compared with central review. Both C and S lesions, when discordant between local and central pathologists, had a clinical phenotype intermediate to double absent lesions (milder disease) and double present (more severe). CONCLUSION: We conclude that differences in the scoring of MEST-C criteria between local pathologists and a central reviewer have a significant impact on the prognostic value of the Oxford Classification. Since the decision to offer immunosuppressive therapy in this cohort was intimately associated with the MEST-C score, this study indicates a need for a more detailed guidance for pathologists in the scoring of IgAN biopsies.

Dapagliflozin in focal segmental glomerulosclerosis: a combined human-rodent pilot study.

Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is an important cause of nondiabetic chronic kidney disease (CKD). Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibition (SGLT2i) therapy attenuates the progression of diabetic nephropathy, but it remains unclear whether SGLT2i provides renoprotection in nondiabetic CKD such as FSGS. The primary aim of this pilot study was to determine the effect of 8 wk of dapagliflozin on glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in humans and in experimental FSGS. Secondary end points were related to changes in renal hemodynamic function, proteinuria, and blood pressure (BP). GFR (inulin) and renal plasma flow (para-aminohippurate), proteinuria, and BP were measured in patients with FSGS ( n = 10), and similar parameters were measured in subtotally nephrectomized (SNx) rats. In response to dapagliflozin, changes in GFR, renal plasma flow, and 24-h urine protein excretion were not statistically significant in humans or rats. Systolic BP (SBP) decreased in SNx rats (196 ± 26 vs. 165 ± 33 mmHg; P < 0.001), whereas changes were not statistically significant in humans (SBP 112.7 ± 8.5 to 112.8 ± 11.2 mmHg, diastolic BP 71.8 ± 6.5 to 69.6 ± 8.4 mmHg; P = not significant), although hematocrit increased (0.40 ± 0.05 to 0.42 ± 0.05%; P = 0.03). In archival kidney tissue from a separate patient cohort, renal parenchymal SGLT2 mRNA expression was decreased in individuals with FSGS compared with controls. Short-term treatment with the SGLT2i dapagliflozin did not modify renal hemodynamic function or attenuate proteinuria in humans or in experimental FSGS. This may be related to downregulation of renal SGLT2 expression. Studies examining the impact of SGLT2i on markers of kidney disease in patients with other causes of nondiabetic CKD are needed.