Renal function during long-term cyclosporin treatment of psoriasis.

Introduction. The goal of this retrospective study was to evaluate the effe cts of cyclosporin A on renal function in patients treated for five years o r more. Patients and methods. Two hundred twenty-four psoriasis patients were treat ed with cyclosporin at St. Louis Hospital, in Paris, from 1988 to 1997 Elev en patients (5 p, 100 of the total) took cyclosporin for at least five year s. Nine case histories were available for the analysis. Results. The group studied consisted of eight men and one woman, ranging in age from 28 to 48 with an average age of 38 years. The average cyclosporin dosage was 3.6 mg/kg/day (2.0-5.0 mg/kg/day). The changes in renal functio n were not significant as compared to the baseline level. The patients did not show persistent increases of serum creatinine more than 30 p. 100 of th e pre-treatment value. Two patients had to discontinue treatment after 6 ye ars because of a 20 p. 100 decrease in glomerular filtration rate. Discussion. Previous studies have shown that cyclosporin A is not a suitabl e long-term continuous monotherapy for psoriasis. However, with precise and regular monitoring of kidney function, a minority of patients can benefit from prolonged treatment without experiencing side effects.