Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Rituximab (RTX) combined with short-term use of glucocorticoids in the treatment of the initial episode of steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome (SSNS).Methods:A retrospective case summary.A total of 30 children with SSNS treated in the Department of Intrarenal Rheumatism and Immunology, Xuzhou Children′s Hospital from December 2021 to March 2023, were enrolled in this study.They were given a standard dose of RTX (375 mg/m 2) and glucocorticoids for a short term.The patients were followed up for 1 year, and the general condition, changes in CD19 + B lymphocytes expression after RTX treatment, the relapse rate, the median relapse-free survival and adverse reactions of RTX were recorded.Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the relapse-free survival time. Results:CD19 + B lymphocytes were depleted 2 weeks after RTX treatment, and the median time required for CD19 + B lymphocytes reconstitution was 5 months after RTX treatment.The 1-year relapse-free rate was 90.00%, and the median relapse-free survival was 11 months.The glucocorticoid discontinuation rate was 93.33% in 3 months after RTX treatment, and 100% in 6 and 12 months after RTX treatment.Adverse reactions included infusion reactions in 7 cases (23.33%), neutropenia/leukopenia in 5 cases (16.67%), hypoimmunoglobulinemia in 10 cases (33.33%), infections in 4 cases.One case was complicated with severe influenza A virus infection after CD19 + B lymphocytes reconstruction. Conclusions:A standard dose of RTX can significantly reduce the relapse frequency, maintain long-term remission of proteinuria, and reduce the dose of glucocorticoids in patients at the initial episode of SSNS.Thus, it is worthy of clinical promotion.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Rituximab (RTX) combined with short-term use of glucocorticoids in the treatment of the initial episode of steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome (SSNS).Methods:A retrospective case summary.A total of 30 children with SSNS treated in the Department of Intrarenal Rheumatism and Immunology, Xuzhou Children′s Hospital from December 2021 to March 2023, were enrolled in this study.They were given a standard dose of RTX (375 mg/m 2) and glucocorticoids for a short term.The patients were followed up for 1 year, and the general condition, changes in CD19 + B lymphocytes expression after RTX treatment, the relapse rate, the median relapse-free survival and adverse reactions of RTX were recorded.Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the relapse-free survival time. Results:CD19 + B lymphocytes were depleted 2 weeks after RTX treatment, and the median time required for CD19 + B lymphocytes reconstitution was 5 months after RTX treatment.The 1-year relapse-free rate was 90.00%, and the median relapse-free survival was 11 months.The glucocorticoid discontinuation rate was 93.33% in 3 months after RTX treatment, and 100% in 6 and 12 months after RTX treatment.Adverse reactions included infusion reactions in 7 cases (23.33%), neutropenia/leukopenia in 5 cases (16.67%), hypoimmunoglobulinemia in 10 cases (33.33%), infections in 4 cases.One case was complicated with severe influenza A virus infection after CD19 + B lymphocytes reconstruction. Conclusions:A standard dose of RTX can significantly reduce the relapse frequency, maintain long-term remission of proteinuria, and reduce the dose of glucocorticoids in patients at the initial episode of SSNS.Thus, it is worthy of clinical promotion.

BACKGROUND:Decreased function and reduced number of CD4+CD25+regulatory T cells have been considered the major manifestation of immunity dysfunction in children with primary nephrotic syndrome. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells have immunoregulation effects, which up-regulate CD4+CD25+regulatory T cells, inhibit proliferation of lymphocytes, and have been widely used in many immune diseases.
OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effects of bone marrow mesenchymal stem celltransplantation on the CD4+CD25+regulatory T cells of peripheral blood in rats with primary nephrotic syndrome.
METHODS:Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells from six Sprague-Dawley rats were isolated, passaged and utilized for cellsuspension preparation. At the third passage, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were used for transplantation. The remaining 30 rats were randomly and equal y divided into three groups:normal group, normal saline infusion group, and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells group. The rat models of primary nephrotic syndrome were established by single injection of adriamycin intravenously through tail vein in the latter two groups. Rats were then treated with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (1×10 7 ) (bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells group) or normal saline (normal saline infusion group) through tail vein at the same time after adriamycin administration. The normal group received no treatment.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the normal group, rats in the normal saline infusion group developed nephropathy characterized by ascites, proteinuria, hypoalbuminemia, hypercholastero-lnemia, and progressive renal injury. However, the proteinurine and clinical severity in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells group were significantly ameliorated after treatment with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. CD4+CD25+Treg/CD4+Treg in the peripheral blood in the bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells group and normal saline infusion group were significantly higher than that in the normal group at 28 days after model establishment (P<0.05), while there was no significant difference between bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells group and normal saline infusion group (P>0.05). The expression of FoxP3 mRNA in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of the bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells group was significantly higher than that in the normal saline infusion group and normal group (P<0.05). The bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells play a protective effect in rats with primary nephrotic syndrome, which may be related to the increase of local expression of FoxP3 and generation of CD4+CD25+Treg.