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Nephrotic Syndrome Study Network

Recruiting
Conditions
Membranous Nephropathy
Minimal Change Disease (MCD)
Glomerulosclerosis, Focal Segmental
Interventions
Procedure: Kidney Biopsy
Registration Number
NCT01209000
Lead Sponsor
University of Michigan
Brief Summary

Minimal change disease (MCD), focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), and Membranous nephropathy (MN), generate an enormous individual and societal financial burden, accounting for approximately 12% of prevalent end stage renal disease (ESRD) cases (2005) at an annual cost in the US of more than $3 billion. However, the clinical classification of these diseases is widely believed to be inadequate by the scientific community. Given the poor understanding of MCD/FSGS and MN biology, it is not surprising that the available therapies are imperfect. The therapies lack a clear biological basis, and as many families have experienced, they are often not beneficial, and in fact may be significantly toxic. Given these observations, it is essential that research be conducted that address these serious obstacles to effectively caring for patients.

In response to a request for applications by the National Institutes of Health, Office of Rare Diseases (NIH, ORD) for the creation of Rare Disease Clinical Research Consortia, a number of affiliated universities joined together with The NephCure Foundation the NIDDK, the ORDR, and the University of Michigan in collaboration towards the establishment of a Nephrotic Syndrome (NS) Rare Diseases Clinical Research Consortium.

Through this consortium the investigators hope to understand the fundamental biology of these rare diseases and aim to bank long-term observational data and corresponding biological specimens for researchers to access and further enrich.

Detailed Description

Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome (NS) is a rare disease syndrome responsible for approximately 12% of all causes of end-stage kidney disease (ESRD) and up to 20% of ESRD in children. Treatment strategies for Focal and Segmental Glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), Minimal Change Disease (MCD) and Membranous Nephropathy (MN), the major causes of NS, include high dose prolonged steroid therapy, cyclophosphamide, cyclosporine A, tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil and other immunosuppressive agents, which all carry significant side effects. Failure to obtain remission using the current treatment approaches frequently results in progression to ESRD with its associated costs, morbidities, and mortality. In the North American Pediatric Renal Trials and Collaborative Studies (NAPRTCS) registry, half of the pediatric patients with Steroid Resistant Nephrotic Syndrome required renal replacement therapy within two years of being enrolled in the disease registry. FSGS also has a high recurrence rate following kidney transplantation (30-40%) and is the most common recurrent disease leading to allograft loss.

The prevailing classification of Nephrotic Syndrome categorizes patients into FSGS, MCD, and MN, if in the absence of other underlying causes, glomerular histology shows a specific histological pattern. This classification does not adequately predict the heterogeneous natural history of patients with FSGS, MCD, and MN. Major advances in understanding the pathogenesis of FSGS and MCD have come over the last ten years from the identification of several mutated genes responsible for causing Steroid Resistant Nephrotic Syndrome (SRNS) presenting with FSGS or MCD histopathology in humans and model organisms. These functionally distinct genetic disorders can present with indistinguishable FSGS lesions on histology confirming the presence of heterogeneous pathogenic mechanisms under the current histological diagnoses.

The limited understanding of FSGS, MCD, and MN biology in humans has necessitated a descriptive classification system in which heterogeneous disorders are grouped together. This invariably consigns these heterogeneous patients to the same therapeutic approaches, which use blunt immunosuppressive drugs that lack a clear biological basis, are often not beneficial, and are complicated by significant toxicity. The foregoing shortcomings make a strong case that concerted and innovative investigational strategies combining basic science, translational, and clinical methods should be employed to study FSGS, MCD, and MN. It is for these reasons that the Nephrotic Syndrome Study Network is established to conduct clinical and translational research in patients with FSGS/MCD and MN.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
1200
Inclusion Criteria

Patients presenting with an incipient clinical diagnosis for FSGS/MCD or MN or pediatric participants not previously biopsied, with a clinical diagnosis for FSGS/MCD or MN meeting the following inclusion criteria:

  • Documented urinary protein excretion ≥1500 mg/24 hours or spot protein: creatinine ratio equivalent at the time of diagnosis or within 3 months of the screening/eligibility visit.
  • Scheduled renal biopsy

Cohort B (non-biopsy, cNEPTUNE) Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age <19 years of age

  • Initial presentation with <30 days immunosuppression therapy

  • Proteinuria/nephrotic

    • UA>2+ and edema OR
    • UA>2+ and serum albumin <3 OR
    • UPC > 2g/g and serum albumin <3

Exclusion Criteria (Cohort A&B):

  • Prior solid organ transplant
  • A clinical diagnosis of glomerulopathy without diagnostic renal biopsy
  • Clinical, serological or histological evidence of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) as defined by the ARA criteria. Patients with membranous in combination with SLE will be excluded because this entity is well defined within the International Society of Nephrology/Renal Pathology Society categories of lupus nephritis, and frequently overlaps with other classification categories of SLE nephritis (68)
  • Clinical or histological evidence of other renal diseases (Alport, Nail Patella, Diabetic Nephropathy, IgA-nephritis, monoclonal gammopathy (multiple myelomas), genito-urinary malformations with vesico-urethral reflux or renal dysplasia)
  • Known systemic disease diagnosis at time of enrollment with a life expectancy less than 6 months
  • Unwillingness or inability to give a comprehensive informed consent
  • Unwillingness to comply with study procedures and visit schedule
  • Institutionalized individuals (e.g., prisoners)
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Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Read More

Study & Design

Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Study Design
Not specified
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Other glomerulopathies cohortKidney BiopsyParticipants enrolled in NEPTUNE and determined to not have FSGS/MCD or MN will be followed in a third group. Eligible participants must be scheduled for a clinically indicated renal biopsy.
FSGS/MCD Cohort (Cohort A)Kidney BiopsyFocal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis/Minimal Change Disease (FSGS/MCD) Cohort Participants enrolled in NEPTUNE with a biopsy proven histological diagnosis for FSGS or MCD. Eligible participants must be scheduled for a clinically indicated renal biopsy.
MN Cohort (Cohort A)Kidney BiopsyMembranous Nephropathy (MN) Cohort Participants enrolled in NEPTUNE with a biopsy proven histological diagnosis for MN. Eligible participants must be scheduled for a clinically indicated renal biopsy.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Rate of change in renal function.60 months

Defined as:

1. 25 mls/min/1.73m2 reduction in follow-up estimated GFR (using the 4-variable MDRD equation for ages ≥18 years and modified Schwartz for ages \<18 years) compared to baseline estimated GFR

2. 50% decline in follow-up estimated GFR compared to baseline measurement

3. End stage renal disease defined as estimated GFR ≤10cc/min, initiation of maintenance dialysis or preemptive kidney transplantation.

Event rate of change in urinary protein excretion and renal function.60 months

Defined as remission, partial remission and non-remission

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Thromboembolic Events60 months

Documented diagnosis of one of the following:

1. Embolic cerebrovascular accident

2. Deep venous thrombosis

3. Renal vein thrombosis or

4. Pulmonary embolus

Acute Kidney Injury60 months

Documented diagnosis of acute kidney injury as defined by the AKIN (Mehta et al., Critical Care 2007, 11:R31) and/or renal failure requiring renal replacement therapy \<3 months.

Death60 months

1. Documentation of death that is secondary to infection or sepsis.

2. Cardiovascular/Cerebrovascular-related Death: Sudden death; Myocardial infarction; Congestive heart failure; Primary intractable serious arrhythmia; Peripheral vascular disease; Ischemic cerebrovascular accident; Hemorrhagic cerebrovascular accident; Thromboembolic event

3. Documentation of death secondary to cancer

4. Other Death: Documentation of death that does not fall into the above categories.

New Onset Diabetes60 months

Diagnosis of diabetes as indicated by 1 or more of the following not present at NEPTUNE Enrollment:

1. Documented diagnosis of diabetes in medical record

2. Casual (non-fasting) blood glucose \> 200 mg/dL c) Fasting blood glucose \> 126 mg/dL d) 2 hour glucose \> 200 after oral glucose tolerance test e) chronic use (\>6 mos) hypoglycemic therapy outside of pregnancy f) Hemogloblin A1C \>= 6.5%

Quality of Life:60 months

Patient-reported outcome will be assessed using Quality of Life questionnaires at regular intervals as stipulated in the visit calendar using the SF-36, PedsQL and the Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) (in the age-appropriate groups).

Infections, Serious and Systemic60 months

Infections including one of the following:

1. Documented diagnosis of infection of the skin or subcutaneous tissue (e.g. cellulitis), vascular system, peritoneum, or any vital organ requiring the use of parenteral antibiotics and/or oral antibiotics alone or in combination for a treatment interval of ≥72 hours.

2. Hospitalization for treatment of infection

Hospitalization60 months

Documented hospital admission, including observation for ≥24 hours.

Emergency Department/ Observation Unit Visit60 months

Documented visit to an emergency department or observation unit that does not lead to hospitalization and is less than 24 hours.

Malignancies60 months

Any cancer diagnosis of the skin, hematopoietic system, or solid organ after enrollment in NEPTUNE

Trial Locations

Locations (44)

Johns Hopkins Medical Institute

🇺🇸

Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Credit Valley Hospital

🇨🇦

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Lundquist Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor UCLA Medical Center

🇺🇸

Torrance, California, United States

Emory University and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta

🇺🇸

Atlanta, Georgia, United States

University of Texas-Southwestern

🇺🇸

Dallas, Texas, United States

Temple University

🇺🇸

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

University Health Network

🇨🇦

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

John Stroger Cook County Hospital

🇺🇸

Chicago, Illinois, United States

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

🇺🇸

Columbus, Ohio, United States

University Hospital Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital

🇺🇸

Cleveland, Ohio, United States

MetroHealth Hospital at Case Western Medical Center

🇺🇸

Cleveland, Ohio, United States

Cleveland Clinic

🇺🇸

Cleveland, Ohio, United States

Texas Children's Hospital - Baylor College of Medicine

🇺🇸

Houston, Texas, United States

Seattle Children's Hospital

🇺🇸

Seattle, Washington, United States

University of Washington

🇺🇸

Seattle, Washington, United States

University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

🇺🇸

Miami, Florida, United States

University of California San Francisco Benioff Children's Hospitals

🇺🇸

San Francisco, California, United States

Mayo Clinic

🇺🇸

Rochester, Minnesota, United States

Kidney Disease Section, NIDDK, NIH

🇺🇸

Bethesda, Maryland, United States

Children's Hospital Colorado

🇺🇸

Aurora, Colorado, United States

University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine

🇺🇸

Aurora, Colorado, United States

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

🇺🇸

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

New York University Medical Center

🇺🇸

New York, New York, United States

New York University Veterans Administration

🇺🇸

New York, New York, United States

Stanford University School of Medicine

🇺🇸

Palo Alto, California, United States

Bellevue Hospital

🇺🇸

New York, New York, United States

Cohen Children's Hospital

🇺🇸

New Hyde Park, New York, United States

Washington University - St Louis

🇺🇸

Saint Louis, Missouri, United States

Scarborough Hospital

🇨🇦

Scarborough, Ontario, Canada

University of Southern California-Children's Hospital

🇺🇸

Los Angeles, California, United States

Columbia University Medical Center

🇺🇸

New York, New York, United States

Sunnybrook Hospital

🇨🇦

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Providence Medical Research Center

🇺🇸

Spokane, Washington, United States

Atrium Health Levine Children's Hospital

🇺🇸

Charlotte, North Carolina, United States

University of Pennsylvania

🇺🇸

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

York Central Hospital

🇨🇦

Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada

Wake Forest School of Medicine

🇺🇸

Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

🇺🇸

Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States

CS Mott Children's Hospital, University of Michigan

🇺🇸

Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States

University of Michigan Medical Center

🇺🇸

Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States

Children's Mercy Hospital

🇺🇸

Kansas City, Missouri, United States

Medical University of South Carolina

🇺🇸

Charleston, South Carolina, United States

Montefiore Medical Center

🇺🇸

Bronx, New York, United States

University of Kansas Medical Center

🇺🇸

Kansas City, Kansas, United States

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