The success rate of different treatment protocols for primary glomerulonephritis (PGN) is 60-70%. Recently, it has been suggested that in somel patients who are unresponsive to standard treatments, \ mycophenolate mofetil (MMF)- the pro-drug of mycophenolic acid- can be used. In our study, the \ results of 20 patients suffering from PGN (7 membranous nephropathy, 6 membranoproliferative GN, 3 focal segmentary glomerulosclerosis, 2 Ig A nephropathy, 1 proliferative GN and 1 mesangioproliferative GN) are investigated. The patients that were given MMF for 2-13 months (mean 7.35 months) were followed up for 8.95 month on the j average and given MMF l-2g/day. In the patients that \ had proliferative lesion (membranoproliferative GN, \ Ig A nephropathy, proliferative and\ mesangioproliferative GN) in histopathological"\ examination the complete response rate was found\ 70% whereas in the patients that did not have proliferative lesion, it was found 30%. Apart from this, in 3 patients the steroid sparing effect of MMF was observed while no serious side effect was noted.
In conclusion, MMF is a well tolerable new \ immunosuppressive drug that enables steroid dose: reduction and can be effective in the treatment of PGNs in which proliferative lesion is prominent. The \ prospective, controlled and large studies about this subject would be exciting.