Baseline clinical and laboratory characteristics and outcomes after leflunomide treatment
| Patient No | Sex | Age | Disease duration | Duration of nephritis | WHO class | Previous immunosuppressive agents | SLEDAI | Proteinuria | Duration on leflunomide | Response | Adverse events |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (years) | (months) | (g/day) | |||||||||
| *Patient newly diagnosed with lupus nephritis and cryptococcal meningitis; †patient presented with nephrotic syndrome did not have a renal biopsy owing to prolonged clotting time and the disease was managed as proliferative nephritis because of presence of active urine sediments. | |||||||||||
| CYC, cyclophosphamide; AZA, azathioprine; CSA, ciclosporin A; CR, complete response; PR, partial response; TF, treatment failure. Complete response (CR) was defined as proteinuria ⩽0.5 g/day, with normal urinary sediment and normal values for both serum creatinine and creatinine clearance. Partial response (PR) was defined as either a reduction of >30% in proteinuria or proteinuria <2 g/day in a previously nephrotic patient with normal urinary sediment and stable renal function. Treatment failure (TF) was defined as no response at the end of follow up or requirement for additional immunosuppressant treatment. For those patients who could not complete the 12 months study, data at the last visit were assessed for response. ‡One patient withdrew because of inefficacy; §four patients withdrew owing to side effects. HT, arterial hypertension requiring additional anti-hypertensive drugs. WL, weight loss of 3–4 kg at the end of the trial owing to real body weight reduction because they remained nephrotic. | |||||||||||
| 1 | F | 43 | 23 | 122.7 | 4 | CYC, AZA, CSA | 17 | 2.1 | 12 | TF | HT, WL |
| 2 | F | 33 | 9 | 1.1 | 2, 5 | NIL* | 6 | 4.4 | 12 | PR | |
| 3 | F | 39 | 7 | 16.9 | 2, 5 | CYC, AZA, | 6 | 2.4 | 0.5 | TF | §Transaminitis |
| 4 | F | 49 | 5 | 46.1 | 3 | AZA | 16 | 2.2 | 12 | CR | Warfarin od, GI bleed, HT |
| 5 | F | 41 | 7 | 5.9 | 2, 5 | CYC | 14 | 2.3 | 12 | CR | |
| 6 | M | 55 | 1 | 19.1 | 5 | AZA | 12 | 3.2 | 6 | PR | ‡Vasculitis, died |
| 7 | F | 21 | 4 | 4 | 4† | AZA | 16 | 3.1 | 10 | CR | §Severe pruritis |
| 8 | F | 27 | 9 | 106 | 2, 5 | AZA. CYC | 12 | 5 | 12 | PR | |
| 9 | M | 35 | 7 | 11.2 | 5 | CSA | 16 | 4.4 | 12 | PR | |
| 10 | F | 30 | 9 | 15.7 | 3 | CSA | 16 | 3.6 | 12 | PR | Herpes zoster, HT |
| 11 | F | 43 | 13 | 11.7 | 3, 5 | CYC, AZA | 8 | 3.7 | 12 | CR | Herpes zoster |
| 12 | F | 33 | 4 | 2 | 3 | CYC, AZA | 16 | 5.1 | 12 | CR | HT |
| 13 | F | 53 | 5 | 39.4 | 3 | CYC, AZA | 10 | 4.7 | 12 | PR | Herpes zoster, HT,WL |
| 14 | F | 30 | 7 | 54.8 | 3, 5 | AZA, CSA | 4 | 3.6 | 0.5 | TF | §Facial rash |
| 15 | F | 41 | 4 | 29.9 | 4 | CYC | 4 | 2 | 12 | TF | |
| 16 | F | 46 | 15 | 11.6 | 5 | CYC, AZA | 12 | 2.4 | 12 | PR | HT |
| 17 | F | 34 | 14 | 10.7 | 5 | AZA | 10 | 6.7 | 6 | PR | §Alopecia |