Long-term, small dose prednisone therapy in frequently relapsing nephrotic syndrome of childhood. Effect on remission, statural growth, obesity, and infection rate.

A prospective study was performed to evaluate the effect of long-term small-dose prednisone therapy in frequently relapsing nephrotic syndrome (NS); 37 patients were included, with a relapse rate 4.6/patient/year (range, 3-8) (mean age, 6.7 years; range, 2-15 years). Prednisone was started 2 mg/kg/day once remission was induced. Prednisone was progressively reduced over weeks until 10 mg/day was reached, and then the daily dose was changed to 10 mg on alternate days. On follow-up (mean, 25.4 months; range, 10-58 months), only five had subsequent relapses and their relapse rate decreased significantly to 1.2/patient/year (p less than 0.05). Forty-six episodes of infection were associated with exacerbation of NS; 41 of these excerbations remitted spontaneously without an increase in the dose of prednisone. Serial height and weight measurements revealed evidence of improved height velocity and obesity persisted in only two of 13 initially obese children.