Efficacy and safety of immunosuppressive treatment in IgA nephropathy: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND: Immunosuppressive agents have been widely used in the treatment of IgA nephropathy (IgAN), but the efficacy and safety remain controversial. The recent STOP-IgAN and TESTING studies have again focused attention on the application of immunosuppressive agents in IgAN. This study investigated the benefits and risks of immunosuppressive agents in IgAN. METHODS: MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and article reference lists were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing immunosuppressive agents with any other non-immunosuppressive agents for treating IgAN. A meta-analysis was performed on the outcomes of proteinuria, creatinine (Cr), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and adverse events in patients with IgAN, and trial sequential analyses were also performed for outcomes. RESULTS: Twenty-nine RCTs (1957 patients) that met our inclusion criteria were identified. Steroids (weighted mean difference [WMD] –0.70, 95% confidence interval [CI] –1.2 to − 0.20), non-steroidal immunosuppressive agents (NSI) (WMD –0. 43, 95% CI − 0.55 to − 0.31), and combined steroidal and non-steroidal immunosuppressive agents (S&NSI) (WMD –1.46, 95% CI − 2.13 to − 0.79) therapy significantly reduced proteinuria levels compared with the the control group. Steroid treatment significantly reduced the risk of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) (relative risk [RR] 0.39, CI 0.19 to 0.79) compared with the control group. The immunosuppressive therapy group showed significant increases in gastrointestinal, hematological, dermatological, and genitourinary side effects, as well as impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes. Hyperkalemia was more common in the control group. CONCLUSION: Immunosuppressive therapy can significantly reduce proteinuria and ESRD risk in patients with IgAN, but with a concomitant increase in adverse reactions. Therefore, care is required in the application of immunosuppressive agents in IgAN.