A CONTROLLED-STUDY OF DEFLAZACORT IN THE TREATMENT OF IDIOPATHIC NEPHROTIC SYNDROME

Forty patients with steroid-dependent idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (I NS), a mean follow-up of 5.5 years, and a mean number of relapses of t en were blindly assigned to either deflazacort (DFZ) (n = 20) or predn isone (PDN) (n = 20) according to a ratio of equivalence of DFZ/PDN = 0.8. This treatment was given for 1 year. The number of relapses was s ignificantly lower in patients receiving DFZ. After 1 year, 12 remaine d in remission with DFZ compared with 2 with PDN. Growth velocity was not different in the two groups. Bone mineral content, assessed by qua ntitative computed tomography of L1 L2 vertebrae, decreased after 1 ye ar by 6% in the DFZ group versus 12% in the PDN group (NS). The mean b ody weight increase of +3.9 +/- 4.1 kg in the PDN group was higher tha n that of the DFZ group, +1.7 +/- 2.8 kg (P = 0.06). Cushingoid sympto ms tended to be less after 12 months in the DFZ group. In conclusion, this study shows that Dm. was more effective than PDN in limiting rela pses in steroid-dependent INS, and that cushingoid symptoms, weight ga in: and decrease in bone mineral content tended to be less marked with this drug than with PDN.