Comparative Efficacy and Safety of Tacrolimus, Cyclosporin A, Mycophenolate Mofetil, Cyclophosphamide, and Corticosteroids as Induction Therapy for Membranous Lupus Nephritis: A Network Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Background: There were limited data on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the effectiveness and safety of tacrolimus (TAC), cyclosporin A (CSA), mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), cyclophosphamide (CYC), and corticosteroids as induction agents in membranous lupus nephritis, and they were inconclusive. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the relative efficacy and safety TAC, CSA, MMF, CYC, and corticosteroids as induction therapy for membranous lupus nephritis.

Method: RCTs examining the efficacy and safety of TAC, CSA, MMF, CYC, and corticosteroids as induction therapy in patients with membranous lupus nephritis were included. We performed a Bayesian random-effects network meta-analysis to combine direct and indirect evidence from the RCTs.

Results: Five RCTs comprising 126 patients met the inclusion criteria. TAC and CSA showed a trend toward a higher overall response rate (complete remission plus partial remission) than MMF and CYC. Similarly, MMF and CYC showed a trend toward a higher overall response than corticosteroids. Ranking probability based on the surface under the cumulative ranking curve indicated that TAC had the highest probability of being the best treatment for achieving the overall response, followed by CSA, MMF, CYC, and corticosteroids. In terms of safety, corticosteroids showed the highest probability of decreasing the risk of infections, followed by CSA, CYC, MMF, and TAC.

Conclusions: TAC and CSA were the most efficacious induction treatments for patients with membranous lupus nephritis, and corticosteroids had the highest probability of decreasing the risk of infections.