Current trends in the treatment of chronic glomerulonephritis

: The results from the long-term combined anticoagulant, immunesuppressive and corticosteroid treatment of 36 patients with various histological forms of idiopathic and lupus glomerulonephritis are reported. Twenty five of them are with preserved or slightly disturbed renal function, and 11 - with chronic renal insufficiency. The treatment was carried out with heparin, acenocoumarol, azathioprin and to the patients with lupus glomerulonephritis - corticosteroids in the course of 4 to 50 months. The results were "very good", "good", with "no change" and "deterioration" according to clinical and laboratory indices. Very good and good effect was obtained in 18 patients (72%) of the group with preserved or slightly disturbed renal function (25 patients). Five patients were with no change (20%) and 2 patients died of complications in connection with corticosteroid treatment. Very good results was obtained in 2 patients with rapid progressive glomerulonephritis from the group with chronic renal insufficiency (11 patients) and the rest were without effect. The adverse effects are not frequent and are mainly due to corticosteroids. The combined anticoagulant and immunosuppressive treatment is concluded to be indicated in patients, with idiopathic and lupus nephritis with preserved or slightly disturbed renal function, in patients with rapidly-progressive glomerulonephritis but not in case of manifested chronic renal insufficiency. The considerable duration and the systematic follow-up control are of essential importance for the treatment success.