Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42113274›Full record

ArticlePediatric nephrology (Berlin, Germany)2026

Clinical presentations, treatments, and outcomes of pediatric lupus nephritis: a prospective cohort study from the Pediatric Nephrology Research Consortium.

Melonie Phillips, Mahmoud Kallash, Chloe Tang, Steve Rust, Kia Jubert-Bacon, Scott Wenderfer, Smriti Mohan, Neal Blatt, Don Batisky, Alejandro Quiroga and 3 more

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in Pediatric nephrology (Berlin, Germany), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Melonie PhillipsThe Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA. Melonie.Phillips@nationwidechildrens.org.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4274-297X
Mahmoud KallashThe Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA.
Chloe TangThe Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA.
Steve RustThe Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA.
Kia Jubert-BaconThe Division of Pediatric Nephrology, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.
Scott WenderferThe Division of Pediatric Nephrology, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, USA.
Smriti MohanThe Division of Pediatric Nephrology, CS Mott Children's Hospital, MI, Ann Arbor, USA.
Neal BlattThe Division of Pediatric Nephrology, CS Mott Children's Hospital, MI, Ann Arbor, USA.
Don BatiskyThe Division of Nephrology, Emory University Hospital, Atlanta, USA.
Alejandro QuirogaThe Division of Pediatric Nephrology, Helen DeVos Children's Hospital, MI, Grand Rapids, USA.
Tetyana L VasylyevaThe Division of Nephrology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock, TX, USA.
Nilka DeJesusThe Pediatric Nephrology Section, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Jerome C LaneThe Division of Pediatric Nephrology, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThere are few prospective studies of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) versus cyclophosphamide (CYC) for pediatric lupus nephritis (pLN) and none evaluating rituximab (RTX).

methodsThe Prospective Pediatric Lupus Nephritis Registry (ProPeL-R) enrolled patients < 21 years within 4 weeks of an initial kidney biopsy diagnostic of pLN. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory data were collected prospectively at enrollment, 3 months, 6 months, and then every 6 months thereafter for up to 5 years of follow-up. For this study, we compared patients receiving initial therapy with corticosteroids (CS) and either MMF (n = 33) vs. CYC (n = 18), and those treated with CS, either MMF or CYC, with RTX (n = 20) vs. without RTX (n = 51).

resultsHistology consisted of 18% class III; 35% class IV; 25% mixed class; and 22% pure class V. Eighty-two percent were female. No significant differences in response or infection rates were identified between those receiving MMF or CYC. There was a significant increase in combined complete (CR) and partial response (PR) at 24 months with RTX use. Overall CR rates at 6 and 24 months were 35% and 58%, respectively. At 24 months, 51% of patients continued on CS, and 56% of patients experienced at least one CS side effect.

conclusionsMMF and CYC had similar efficacy as initial therapies for pLN. RTX may augment long-term response. However, response rates were suboptimal. Large variations in initial therapy were observed. Given the paucity of prospective data in pLN, our study further illustrates the need for data-driven, pediatric-specific protocols to standardize care and improve outcomes.

Indexed as

CyclophosphamideImmunosuppressive AgentsLupus NephritisMycophenolic AcidAdolescentAdrenal Cortex HormonesBiopsyChildChild, PreschoolDrug Therapy, CombinationFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansKidneyMaleProspective StudiesAdrenal Cortex HormonesCyclophosphamideImmunosuppressive AgentsMycophenolic AcidRituximabPediatric glomerulonephritisPediatric lupus nephritisPediatric systemic lupus erythematosus

Identifiers

PMID42113274
PMCPMC13481483

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.