Tacrolimus treatment after short-term intravenous methylprednisolone in incipient minimal change disease for adults: A retrospective analysis

The present study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of tacrolimus for treating incipient minimal change disease in adults. The clinical data of 52 adult patients with minimal change disease of nephrotic syndrome diagnosed by renal biopsy in the First affiliated hospital of Zhengzhou University between August 2013 and August 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the treatment plan, the patients were divided into a tacrolimus group and a glucocorticoid group. The efficacy and safety of tacrolimus in the treatment of minimal change disease in adult patients was analyzed and compared with that of glucocorticoids. The results revealed that the baseline characteristics of the two groups were similar (P > 0.05). At 24 weeks, there was a significant difference in serum albumin between the two groups (P < 0.01). The serum albumin levels of tacrolimus group was higher compared with the glucocorticoid group. In addition, the complete remission rates in the tacrolimus and glucocorticoid groups were 93.75 and 77.8%, respectively (P = 0.095), and the mean complete remission time was 6.33 ± 4.21 and 5.14 ± 2.45 weeks, respectively (P = 0.175). The relapse rate was 12.5 and 22.2% in the tacrolimus and glucocorticoid groups, respectively (P = 0.368). During the follow-up, in tacrolimus group, the incidence of new onset diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance, osteoporosis, infection, abnormal liver function, Cushing's syndrome, acne and gastrointestinal symptoms were significantly less than those of glucocorticoids (P < 0.05). In conclusion, tacrolimus treatment after short-time intravenous methylprednisolone is an effective treatment option with fewer adverse effects in adult onset minimal change disease.