Shiva Toumaj
1 
, Shahrzad Alimohammadi
2,3 , Maryam Ghasemi
4 , Shokouh Shayanpour
5* 1 Nickan Research Institute, Isfahan, Iran
2 Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
3 Doctoral School of Molecular Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
4 Renal Division, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
5 Chronic Renal Failure Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
Abstract
Immunoglobulin A nephropathy is the most common kind of primary glomerulonephritis worldwide and one of the main causes of renal failure. Systemic corticosteroid therapy may protect against renal deterioration in IgA nephropathy; however, it is not often advised for long-term treatment due to possible side effects. Recent studies present promising results of the new targeted-release formulation of budesonide that delivers the drug to the distal ileum to reduce side effects for patients with IgA nephropathy. In this paper, we highlighted the potential benefits of budesonide as a treatment option for IgA nephropathy and the need for additional studies to confirm its effectiveness. The lack of alternative treatments to prevent renal deterioration without other systemic side effects motivated us to gather relevant information to fill this gap. In this brief overview, we have reviewed some of the most recently published studies regarding how budesonide protects against IgA nephropathy. Studies reveal that budesonide might significantly decrease proteinuria, hematuria, and creatinine level while maintaining normal renal function. Though, a limited number of trials have been established to date, and further investigations are needed to confirm the benefit of the new targeted-release budesonide in treating IgA nephropathy.
Implication for health policy/practice/research/medical education:
Preliminary data shows, patients with immunoglobulin A might clinically benefit from budesonide therapy, including the preservation of renal function and a decline in proteinuria and hematuria.
Please cite this paper as: Toumaj S, Alimohammadi S, Ghasemi M, Shayanpour S. Targeted-release budesonide in immunoglobulin A nephropathy; a mini-review. J Nephropharmacol. 2023;12(2):e10605. DOI: 10.34172/npj.2023.10605.