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  • Eculizumab for Treatment of...
    Le Quintrec, Moglie, MD, PhD; Lionet, Arnaud, MD; Kandel, Christine, MD; Bourdon, Franck, MD; Gnemmi, Viviane, MD; Colombat, Magali, MD, PhD; Goujon, Jean-Michel, MD; Frémeaux-Bacchi, Véronique, MD, PhD; Fakhouri, Fadi, MD, PhD

    American journal of kidney diseases, 03/2015, Volume: 65, Issue: 3
    Journal Article

    C3 glomerulopathy (C3G) is a prototypic complement-mediated kidney disease. Rapidly progressive forms of C3G usually respond poorly to conventional treatments. We report on the efficacy of the terminal complement inhibitor eculizumab in 3 adult patients with rapidly progressive C3G. In all 3 patients, serum creatinine levels had increased by >50% in the 2 months preceding initiation of eculizumab treatment despite the use of conventional immunosuppressive drugs and/or plasma exchanges in 2 of these individuals. Of note, 2 patients had long-standing nephrotic syndrome. Kidney biopsy performed prior to eculizumab treatment disclosed marked glomerular inflammatory changes and increased C5b-9 deposition in all patients. Eculizumab use was associated with significant improvement in kidney function, with estimated glomerular filtration rates of patients increasing 22 to 38 mL/min/1.73 m2 . Eculizumab use also was associated with remission of nephrotic syndrome in the 2 affected patients, an effect observed as early as one week after treatment initiation. Repeat kidney biopsy disclosed regression of glomerular inflammatory changes and decreases in glomerular staining for C5b-9 in all patients. These results warrant further assessment of eculizumab for treatment of rapidly progressive forms of C3G with markedly increased glomerular C5b-9 deposits.