Patient characteristics at baseline and start of immunosuppressive therapy
| Variables | Baseline | Immunosuppressive Therapy | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Cohort | Conservative Treatment | Baseline | Start of Therapy | |
| Patients (n) | 254 | 130 | 124 | 124 |
| Men (%) | 68 | 61 | 76 | |
| Age (yr) | 53±14 | 51±14 | 55±13 | 56±13 |
| Year of biopsy | 2003 (1999–2006) | 2004 (1999–2006) | 2003 (1998–2007) | |
| Follow-up duration (mo) | 57 (32–90) | 53 (31–82) | 59 (37–103) | |
| Interval until start of therapy (mo) | 4 (1–13) | |||
| BMI (kg/m2) | 26.3 (23.8–28.8) | 26.0 (23.7–29.0) | 26.5 (23.8–28.4) | |
| eGFR-MDRD4 (ml/min per 1.73 m2) | 71 (53–85) | 79 (66–89) | 59 (42–73) | 41 (31–58) |
| Serum creatinine (μmol/L) | 91 (76–116) | 84 (72–94) | 109 (86–143) | 146 (112–181) |
| Serum albumin (g/L) | 25 (20–29) | 28 (23–31) | 21 (17–27) | 23 (18–27) |
| Serum cholesterol (mmol/L) | 7.2±2.5 | 6.6±2.1 | 7.9±2.6 | 6.8 (5.7–8.4) |
| Protein-to-creatinine ratio (g/10 mmol) | 7.1 (4.6–10.7) | 5.1 (3.2–7.7) | 10.3 (6.6–12.7) | 10.4 (7.1–15.2) |
| Nephrotic syndrome (%) | 89 | 82 | 97 | |
| ACE inhibitor/ARB use (%) | 90 | 90 | 90 | |
| Statin use (%) | 62 | 60 | 64 | |
| Diuretic use | 72 | 62 | 83 | |
| Other BP-lowering medication (%) | 24 | 15 | 33 | |
| Outcomes (%) | ||||
| Death | 8 | 4 | 13 | |
| Renal replacement therapy | 3 | 1 | 5 | |
| Serum creatinine > 265 μmol/L | 11 | 5 | 17 | |
| Any partial remission during follow-up | 81 | 79 | 84 | |
| Any complete remission during follow-up | 39 | 41 | 37 | |
| Relapses during follow-up (%) | ||||
| 0 | 78 | 84 | 72 | |
| 1 | 19 | 14 | 23 | |
| ≥2 | 4 | 2 | 5 | |
Data are presented as mean ± SD, median (interquartile range), and percentages. BMI, body mass index; eGFR-MDRD4, estimated GFR according to the four-variable Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation, re-expressed for mass spectrometry traceable serum creatinine concentration; ACE, angiotensin-converting enzyme; ARB, angiotensin II receptor blocker.