Multifocal acquired demyelinating sensory and motor neuropathy (MADSAM) is a variant of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP). It presents as a chronic, asymmetrical sensory-motor polyneuropathy with features of demyelination on nerve conduction studies. Management options include intravenous immunoglobulin and corticosteroid infusions. Prognosis is generally favorable but there have been reports of variable response to treatment. This condition is rare and local data on CIDP and its variants is limited, hence we report a case of a 64-year-old male presenting with 3 year history of progressive asymmetric numbness and weakness of all limbs. Sensory deficits began on the left hand and had progressed to involve the distal portions of all limbs, eventually developing weakness as well. The patient underwent multiple nerve-conduction studies, all of which showed findings congruent with MADSAM. He was given intravenous high dose methylprednisolone and was maintained on mycophenolate mofetil.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical effect of different immunosuppressive treatment regimens in children with ocular myasthenia gravis (OMG). METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 130 children with OMG who were treated in the Department of Neurology, Jiangxi Children's Hospital, from February 2018 to February 2023. According to the treatment regimen, they were divided into four groups: glucocorticoid (GC) group (n=29), mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) group (GC+MMF; n=33), methotrexate (MTX) group (GC+MTX; n=30), and tacrolimus (FK506) group (GC+FK506; n=38). Treatment outcomes and adverse reactions were compared among the groups. RESULTS: After 3 months of treatment, the FK506 group had significantly lower scores of Myasthenia Gravis Quantitative Scale and Myasthenia Gravis-Specific Activities of Daily Living than the other three groups (P<0.05). After 3 months of treatment, the FK506 group had a significantly lower dose of prednisone than the GC group, and after 6 and 9 months of treatment, the MMF, MTX, and FK506 groups had a significantly lower dose of prednisone than the GC group (P<0.05). After 12 months of treatment, the MMF, MTX, and FK506 groups had a significantly lower incidence rate of GC-related adverse reactions than the GC group (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS For children with OMG, the addition of various immunosuppressants can reduce the dosage of GC and adverse reactions. Among them, FK506 shows superior efficacy compared to other immunosuppressants in the early treatment of OMG.
Humans ; Child ; Prednisone/adverse effects* ; Tacrolimus/adverse effects* ; Retrospective Studies ; Activities of Daily Living ; Immunosuppressive Agents/adverse effects* ; Myasthenia Gravis/drug therapy* ; Glucocorticoids/therapeutic use* ; Mycophenolic Acid/adverse effects*

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the difference in the therapeutic effect of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) or cyclophosphamide (CTX) in children with Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis (HSPN) of different age groups. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 135 children with HSPN who were treated with MMF or CTX in the Department of Nephrology, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Capital Institute of Pediatrics, from October 2018 to October 2020. According to the immunosuppressant used, they were divided into two groups: MMF group and CTX group, and according to the age, each group was further divided into two subgroups: ≤12 years and >12 years, producing four groups, i.e, the ≤12 years MMF subgroup (n=30), the >12 years MMF subgroup (n=15), the ≤12 years CTX subgroup (n=71), and the >12 years CTX subgroup (n=19). All children were followed up for at least 12 months, and the above groups were compared in terms of clinical outcomes and the incidence rate of adverse reactions. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in the complete response rate between the MMF group and the CTX group after 3, 6, and 12 months of treatment (P>0.05). There were no significant difference in the complete response rate and the incidence rate of adverse reactions between the >12 years MMF subgroup and the ≤12 years MMF subgroup at 3, 6, and 12 months of treatment (P>0.05). The >12 years CTX subgroup had a significantly lower complete response rate than the ≤12 years CTX subgroup at 6 and 12 months of treatment (P<0.05). The >12 years CTX subgroup had a significantly higher incidence rate of adverse reactions than the >12 years MMF subgroup (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS The efficacy and adverse reactions of MMF are not associated with age, but the efficacy of CTX is affected by age, with a higher incidence rate of adverse reactions. CTX should be selected with caution for children with HSPN aged >12 years.
Child ; Humans ; Mycophenolic Acid/adverse effects* ; IgA Vasculitis/drug therapy* ; Retrospective Studies ; Cyclophosphamide/adverse effects* ; Immunosuppressive Agents/adverse effects* ; Vasculitis/drug therapy* ; Nephritis/complications*

OBJECTIVES: Hepatic fibrosis is a serious pathological consequence of chronic liver disease. Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is a commonly used immunosuppressant after organ transplant. However, the relationship between MMF and hepatic fibrosis remains unclear. This study aims to explore the effect of MMF on hepatic fibrosis in mice and the potential mechanism. METHODS: A total of 24 mice (male, 8-week old, C57BL/6) were randomly divided into a control group, a MMF group, a carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) group and a CCl₄+MMF group (n=6 in each group). After the mice were sacrificed, the serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were detected. The liver tissues were taken up for Masson staining and collagen I (COL1) immunohistochemistry. The levels of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) were detected by Western blotting. Finally, the levels of mRNA for TGF-β1, α-SMA, and COL1 were detected using real-time PCR. RESULTS: Compared with the CCl₄ group, the ALT and AST levels were lower (both P<0.05), the degree of liver fibrosis was alleviated, and the deposition of COL1 in the liver was significantly decreased (P<0.01) in the CCl₄+MMF group. Compared with the CCl₄ group, the protein expression levels of TGF-β1 and α-SMA were significantly decreased (both P<0.05) and the relative expression levels of TGF-β1, α-SMA and COL1 mRNA in the liver were significantly decreased (all P<0.05) in the CCl₄+MMF. CONCLUSIONS MMF could reduce CCl₄-induced hepatic fibrosis, which might be related to the inhibition of TGF-β1. This study is expected to provide a target for the treatment of hepatic fibrosis.
Male ; Animals ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mycophenolic Acid/therapeutic use* ; Carbon Tetrachloride/toxicity* ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1/genetics* ; Liver Cirrhosis/drug therapy* ; RNA, Messenger

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) or tacrolimus (TAC) compared with azathioprine (AZA) as maintenance therapy for active lupus nephritis (ALN). Patients with ALN who responded to 24 weeks of induction treatment were enrolled. Patients who received MMF or TAC as induction therapy continued MMF or TAC treatment during the maintenance period, whereas those who received intravenous cyclophosphamide were subjected to AZA treatment. The primary endpoint was the incidence of renal relapse. Secondary endpoints included extrarenal flares and composite endpoints (deaths, end-stage renal disease, or doubling of serum creatinine levels). A total of 123 ALN patients (47 in the MMF group, 37 in the TAC group, and 39 in the AZA group) were enrolled. The median follow-up time was 60 months. Ten MMF-treated patients, ten TAC-treated patients, and eight AZA-treated patients experienced renal relapses (P = 0.844). The cumulative renal relapse rates in the MMF group (P = 0.934) and TAC group (P = 0.673) were similar to the renal relapse rate in the AZA group. No significant difference in the incidence of severe adverse event was observed among the groups. Long-term maintenance therapies with MMF or TAC might have similarly low rates of renal relapse and similar safety profiles compared with AZA.
Humans ; Mycophenolic Acid/adverse effects* ; Azathioprine/adverse effects* ; Tacrolimus/therapeutic use* ; Lupus Nephritis/complications* ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; Treatment Outcome ; Recurrence

OBJECTIVE: To study the efficacy and safety of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) versus cyclophosphamide (CTX) in the treatment of children with Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis (HSPN) and nephrotic-range proteinuria. METHODS: A prospective clinical trial was conducted in 68 pediatric patients who were admitted to the Department of Nephrology, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Capital Institute of Pediatrics and who were diagnosed with HSPN and nephrotic-range proteinuria from August 2016 to November 2019. The patients were randomly divided into two groups:MMF treatment ( RESULTS: At months 3, 6, and 12 of treatment, there was no significant difference in the complete remission rate and the response rate between the MMF treament and CTX treatment groups ( CONCLUSIONS MMF and CTX have similar efficacy and safety in the treatment of HSPN children with nephrotic-range proteinuria.
Child ; Cyclophosphamide/adverse effects* ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents/adverse effects* ; Mycophenolic Acid/adverse effects* ; Nephritis/drug therapy* ; Prospective Studies ; Proteinuria/etiology* ; Purpura, Schoenlein-Henoch/drug therapy* ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVE: Although intravenous cyclophosphamide (IVC) is generally accepted as the standard therapy for induction treatment of active proliferative lupus nephritis (LN), several clinical trials have suggested that mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is at least as effective as IVC. Because few Asian studies have compared the two treatment modalities, we compared the efficacies of MMF and IVC as LN remission induction treatments in Korean patients. METHODS: We enrolled 39 patients with class III and IV LN who received MMF or IVC as LN induction therapy. The renal outcomes (i.e., complete response [CR], partial response [PR], and no response [NR]) at 6 and 12 months were defined using the ACR 2006 response criteria. RESULTS: Of 39 patients, 23 (59.0%) were treated with IVC, and 16 (41.0%) were treated with MMF. Demographics, clinical characteristics, laboratory data, and adverse events did not significantly differ between the two groups. However, C3 levels were lower and activity scores in renal biopsy were higher in IVC-treated patients. CRs were achieved by 11 (47.8%) of the patients receiving IVC and 7 (43.8%) of the patients receiving MMF after 6 months of treatment (p=0.961) and by 11 (47.8%) of those who received IVC and 9 (56.2%) of those who received MMF at 12 months of treatment (p=0.713). Neither the PR rate nor the NR rate differed significantly at 6 or 12 months between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The efficacy of MMF does not differ from that of IVC in terms of induction of LN remission in Korean patients.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Biopsy ; Cyclophosphamide* ; Demography ; Humans ; Lupus Nephritis* ; Mycophenolic Acid ; Remission Induction

Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is an immunosuppressive agent used to treat severe lupus, including lupus nephritis. Common adverse effects of MMF include gastrointestinal and hematological manifestations; however, cardiac toxicity in association with MMF has not been reported. We present a 21-year-old woman with lupus nephritis who developed ventricular tachycardia 2 hours after an overdose of MMF (34 g). Ventricular bigeminy was documented 12 hours after the MMF overdose. Transthoracic echocardiography showed no evidence of structural heart disease. The ventricular arrhythmia was successfully treated with potassium replacement, hydration, and cholestyramine. This case suggests that an overdose of MMF can induce ventricular tachycardia, and electrocardiogram monitoring is critical to identify this rare cardiac complication of MMF.
Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Cardiotoxicity ; Cholestyramine Resin ; Echocardiography ; Electrocardiography ; Female ; Heart Diseases ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic ; Lupus Nephritis ; Mycophenolic Acid ; Potassium ; Tachycardia, Ventricular ; Young Adult

Adolescent ; Busulfan ; therapeutic use ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Cyclophosphamide ; therapeutic use ; Cyclosporine ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; methods ; Humans ; Infant ; Leukemia ; drug therapy ; mortality ; therapy ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute ; drug therapy ; mortality ; therapy ; Male ; Mycophenolic Acid ; therapeutic use ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; drug therapy ; mortality ; therapy ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical effect and safety of tacrolimus (TAC) combined with glucocorticoid (GC) versus mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) combined with GC in the treatment of primary IgA nephropathy (IgAN) in children. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of children with primary IgAN confirmed by renal pathology between January 2012 and December 2017. These children were divided into TAC group and MMF group according to the treatment regimen. Their clinical data before treatment and at 1, 3, and 6 months of treatment were collected, and the remission status of IgAN and adverse reactions were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: A total of 43 children who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled, with 15 children in the TAC group and 28 children in the MMF group. At 1 month of treatment, there was no significant difference in the remission status between the two groups (P>0.05). At 3 and 6 months of treatment, the TAC group had a significantly better remission status than the MMF group (P<0.05). At 1 month of treatment, the TAC group had higher serum albumin levels than the MMF group (P<0.05). Both groups had a significant increase in serum albumin levels at each time point after treatment (P<0.0083) and a significant increase in the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) at 3 and 6 months of treatment (P<0.0083). There was no significant difference in the overall incidence rate of adverse reactions between the two groups (P>0.05), but fungal infection was observed in one child from the TAC group. CONCLUSIONS TAC combined with GC can effectively reduce urinary protein in children with primary IgAN, and it has a better short-term clinical effect than MMF combined with GC, with good safety.
Child ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Glomerulonephritis, IGA ; drug therapy ; Glucocorticoids ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; Mycophenolic Acid ; Retrospective Studies ; Tacrolimus ; therapeutic use