CYCLONES - CYClophosphamide LOw Dose and No Extra Steroid

Summary

Glucocorticoids (GC) use has increased survival of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), particularly in cases of nephritis and a more significant improvement to 80% with the introduction of therapy combined with immunosuppressants. This therapeutic scheme, however, results in a very high incidence of irreversible damage that is associated in more than 70% of the cases to GC use and in a smaller proportion to the use of high dose cyclophosphamide. CYCLONES is a Controlled Randomized Clinical Trial with the aim of evaluating the efficacy of a regimen for lupus nephritis treatment using only intravenous corticosteroid administration. This intravenous corticosteroid regimen has already been tested (with Rituximab instead of Cyclophosphamide) with high response rates for lupus nephritis and significant reduction of side effects. After selection, patients will be randomized in two arms: 116 patients will receive Euro-Lupus nephritis regimen and other 116 will undergo treatment with CYCLONES regimen. The primary endpoint is the partial response (protein/creatinine ratio \< 3 with decrease at least of 50% of the initial value and increase of creatinine not higher than 15% of the initial value) or complete response (protein/creatinine ratio \< 500 with decrease at least of 50% of the initial value and increase of creatinine not higher than 15% of the initial value in 6 months. Secondary outcome measures will be evaluated such as osteoporosis and bone metabolism parameters, ophthalmologic evaluation of the collateral effects related to glucocorticoids, lipid profile and therapy adherence.

Timeline

Start

2018-04-12

Primary completion

2021-07-02

Completion

2021-07-02

Publications

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• Background Gladman DD, Urowitz MB, Rahman P, Ibanez D, Tam LS. Accrual of organ damage over time in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. J Rheumatol. 2003 Sep;30(9):1955-9.
• Background Houssiau FA, Vasconcelos C, D'Cruz D, Sebastiani GD, Garrido Ed Ede R, Danieli MG, Abramovicz D, Blockmans D, Mathieu A, Direskeneli H, Galeazzi M, Gul A, Levy Y, Petera P, Popovic R, Petrovic R, Sinico RA, Cattaneo R, Font J, Depresseux G, Cosyns JP, Cervera R. Immunosuppressive therapy in lupus nephritis: the Euro-Lupus Nephritis Trial, a randomized trial of low-dose versus high-dose intravenous cyclophosphamide. Arthritis Rheum. 2002 Aug;46(8):2121-31. doi: 10.1002/art.10461.
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• Background Barkhof F, Tas MW, Frequin ST, Scheltens P, Hommes OR, Nauta JJ, Valk J. Limited duration of the effect of methylprednisolone on changes on MRI in multiple sclerosis. Neuroradiology. 1994 Jul;36(5):382-7. doi: 10.1007/BF00612124.
• Background Contreras G, Pardo V, Leclercq B, Lenz O, Tozman E, O'Nan P, Roth D. Sequential therapies for proliferative lupus nephritis. N Engl J Med. 2004 Mar 4;350(10):971-80. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa031855.
• Background Petri M, Buyon J, Kim M. Classification and definition of major flares in SLE clinical trials. Lupus. 1999;8(8):685-91. doi: 10.1191/096120399680411281.
• Background Gladman DD, Urowitz MB, Goldsmith CH, Fortin P, Ginzler E, Gordon C, Hanly JG, Isenberg DA, Kalunian K, Nived O, Petri M, Sanchez-Guerrero J, Snaith M, Sturfelt G. The reliability of the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheum. 1997 May;40(5):809-13. doi: 10.1002/art.1780400506.
• Background Appel GB, Contreras G, Dooley MA, Ginzler EM, Isenberg D, Jayne D, Li LS, Mysler E, Sanchez-Guerrero J, Solomons N, Wofsy D; Aspreva Lupus Management Study Group. Mycophenolate mofetil versus cyclophosphamide for induction treatment of lupus nephritis. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2009 May;20(5):1103-12. doi: 10.1681/ASN.2008101028. Epub 2009 Apr 15.
• Background Vincenti F, Schena FP, Paraskevas S, Hauser IA, Walker RG, Grinyo J; FREEDOM Study Group. A randomized, multicenter study of steroid avoidance, early steroid withdrawal or standard steroid therapy in kidney transplant recipients. Am J Transplant. 2008 Feb;8(2):307-16. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-6143.2007.02057.x.

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