Study Finds Tacrolimus Safe and Effective for Lupus Nephritis
Researchers conducted a meta-analysis to assess the efficacy and safety of Tacrolimus (TAC) in induction therapy of people with lupus nephritis (LN). TAC is an immunosuppressant used in kidney transplantation. They concluded that TAC is an effective and safe agent for LN therapy and encourage more study to confirm their findings. TAC is often used in LN as an alternative to standard therapies. LN is one of the most serious complications of SLE and occurs in up to 60% of patients worldwide, including over half of pediatric-onset SLE cases. Without drug intervention, long-term inflammation may cause irreversible damage to kidney and may cause chronic kidney disease, which subsequently develops into end-stage renal disease. Learn about lupus in the kidney.