A controlled trial of cyclophosphamide in the treatment of proliferative glomerulonephritis

Abstract

Cyclophosphamide was administered orally, in a dose just sufficient to depress the white-cell count to 3000-4000 per mm3 (mean 1.5 mg/kg/day), to 27 patients with proliferative glomerulonephritis for 12 months; 26 patients acted as controls. Cyclophosphamide conferred no benefit as judged by mortality, morbidity, renal function (serum creatinine and creatinine clearance) or proteinuria. The side effects of cyclophosphamide included permanent amenorrhoea in five of seven menstruating women. Since no controlled trial has yet shown that any immuno-suppressive drug benefits proliferative glomerulonephritis we question whether such drugs should be administered in this disease except in the course of planned prospective trials.