Long-term results of hydroxychloroquine therapy in patients with immunoglobulin A nephropathy

Cover Page

Cite item

Full Text

Open Access Open Access
Restricted Access Access granted
Restricted Access Subscription or Fee Access

Abstract

Objective. Analysis of long-term outcomes after completing a 6-month course of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) therapy in patients with immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN).

Material and methods. Clinical and laboratory parameters and the remission rate were prospectively determined in 20 patients with IgAN after a course of HCQ therapy.

Results. The follow-up period ranged from 13 to 59 months (median 45 months). In the group of patients (n=14) who achieved clinical and laboratory remission after a course of hydroxychloroquine therary, sustained remission was observed in 8 (57.1%) patients. In cases of relapse, repeated administration of hydroxychloroquine promoted remission in 2 of 3 patients. No adverse effects of treatment were recorded.

Conclusion. Hydroxychloroquine can be used as an effective alternative therapy in patients with IgAN.

About the authors

Kirill S. Komissarov

Minsk Scientific and Practical Center for Surgery, Transplantology, and Hematology; Belarusian State Medical University

Author for correspondence.
Email: kirill_ka@tut.by
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-2648-0642

Cand.Sci, (Med.), Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Nephrology, Renal Replacement Therapy and Kidney Transplantation, Minsk Scientific and Practical Center for Surgery, Transplantology, and Hematology

Belarus, Minsk; Minsk

Olga V. Krasko

United Institute of Informatics Problems of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus

Email: olga.krasko.ok@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-4150-282X

Cand.Sci, (Tech.), Associate Professor, Leading Researcher, Bioinformatics Laboratory

Belarus, Minsk

Valery S. Pilotovich

Belarusian State Medical University

Email: pilotovich@mail.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-8256-5889

Dr.Sci. (Med.), Professor, Department of Urology and Nephrology

Belarus, Minsk

References

  1. Barbour S.J. The epidemiology of IgA nephropathy: East versus West. Nephrology (Carlton). 2024;29(Suppl. 2):65–7. doi: 10.1111/nep.14349.
  2. Комиссаров К.С. Мультицентровое исследование причин терминальной стадии хронической болезни почек у пациентов, получающих лечение программным гемодиализом в г. Минске. Известия Национальной академии наук Беларуси. Серия медицинских наук. 2020;17(1):49–54. [Komissarov К.S. Multicenter study of the causes of the end stage renal disease in patients on chronic hemodialysis in Minsk. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Medical series. 2020;17(1):49–54 (In Russ.)]. doi: 10.29235/1814-6023-2020-17-1-49-54.
  3. Добронравов В.А., Мужецкая Т.О., Лин Д.И. и др. Иммуноглобулин А-нефропатия в российской популяции: клинико-морфологическая презентация и отдаленный прогноз. Нефрология. 2019;23(6):45–60. [Dobronravov V.A., Muzhetskaya T.O., Lin D.I., Kochoyan Z.Sh. Immunoglobulin A-nephropathy in Russian population: clinical and morphological presentation and long-term prognosis. Nephrology (Saint-Petersburg). 2019;23(6):45–60 (In Russ.)]. Doi: 10.36485/ 1561-6274-2019-236-45-60.
  4. Комиссаров К.С., Краско О.В., Дмитриева М.В. и др. Иммуноглобулин А – нефропатия в белорусской когорте. Клинико-морфологические особенности, факторы, ассоциированные с неблагоприятным исходом. Клиническая нефрология. 2022;3:25–33. [Komissarov K.S., Krasko O.V., Dmitrieva M.V. et al. IgA nephropathy in Belarusian cohort. Сlinical and pathological peculiarities, factors, associated with unfavorable outcome. Clin. Nephrol. 2022;3:25–33 (In Russ.)].
  5. Комиссаров К.С. Клинические варианты течение первичной формы IgA-нефропатии. Лечебное дело. 2019;5(59):34–9. [Komissarov K.S. Clinical variants of primary IgA-nephropathy course. Lech Delo. 2019;5(59): P.34–9 (In Russ.)].
  6. Thompson A., Carroll K., Inker L.A. et al. Proteinuria Reduction as a Surrogate End Point in Trials of IgA Nephropathy. Clin. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 2019;14:469–81. Doi: https://doi.org/10.2215/CJN.08600718.
  7. Tang C., Chen P., Si F.L. et al. Time-Varying proteinuria and progression of IgA nephropathy: A cohort study. Am. J. Kidney Dis. 2024;84(2):170–178 e1. doi: 10.1053/j.ajkd.2023.12.016.
  8. Rao I.R., Kolakemar A., Shenoy S.V. Hydroxychloroquine in nephrology: current status and future directions. J. Nephrol. 2023;36(8):2191–208. doi: 10.1007/s40620-023-01733-6.
  9. Stefan G., Mircescu G. Hydroxychloroquine in IgA nephropathy: a systematic review. Ren. Fail. 2021;43(1):1520–7. doi: 10.1080/0886022X.2021.2000875.
  10. Kidney Disease: improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) Glomerulonephritis Work Group. KDIGO Clinical Practice Guidline for Glomerulonephritis. Chapter 2: Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN)/Immunoglobulin A vasculitis (IgAV). Kidney Int. Suppl. 2021;100(Suppl. 4):115–28. doi: 10.1016/jkint.2021.05.021.
  11. Комиссаров К.С., Нижегородова Д.Б., Минченко Е.И. и др. Эффективность гидроксихлорохина и его влияние на клеточный и гуморальный иммунитет у пациентов с иммуноглобулин А-нефропатией: результаты проспективного контролируемого исследования. Клиническая нефрология. 2022;4:19–26. Doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.18565/ nephrology.2022.4.19-26. [Komissarov K.S., Nizheharodava D.B., Minchenko E.I. et al. Efficacy of hydroxychloroquine and its influence on cellular and humoral immunity in patients with immunoglobulin A nephropathy: results of a prospective controlled study. Clin. Nephrol. 2022;4:19–26 (In Russ.)].
  12. Thompson A., Carroll K., Inker L.A., et al. Proteinuria Reduction as a Surrogate End Point in Trials of IgA Nephropathy. Clin. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 2019;14(3): 469–81. doi: 10.2215/CJN.08600718.
  13. Levey A.S., Stevens L., Schmid C. et al. A New Equation to Estimate Glomerular Filtration Rate. Ann. Intern. Med. 2009;150(5):604–12. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-150-9-200905050-00006.
  14. Pozzi C., Andrulli S., Del Vecchio L. et al. Corticosteroid effectiveness in IgA nephropathy: long-term results of a randomized, controlled trial. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 2004;15(1):157–63. doi: 10.1097/01.asn.0000103869.08096.4f.
  15. Floege J., Barratt J., Cook H.T. et al. Executive summary of the KDIGO 2025 Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Immunoglobulin A Nephropathy (IgAN) and Immunoglobulin A Vasculitis (IgAV). Kidney Int. 2025;108(4):548–54. doi: 10.1016/j.kint.2025.04.003.
  16. Tunnicliffe D.J., Reid S., Craig J.C. et al. Non-immunosuppressive treatment for IgA nephropathy. Cochrane Database Syst. Rev. 20241;2(2):CD003962. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD003962.pub3.
  17. Bertolaccini M.L., Contento G., Lennen R. et al. Complement Inhibition by hydroxychloroquine prevents placental and fetal brain abnormalities in antiphospholipid syndrome. J. Autoimmun. 2016;75:30–8. Doi: 10.1016/ j.jaut.2016.04.008.
  18. Jacobson R., Goldman D., Fava A. et al. Hydroxychloroquine improves low complement levels. Arthrit. Care Res. 2024;76(10):1396–9. doi: 10.1002/acr.25381.
  19. Chen T., Ji-Cheng L.V., Su-Fang Shi et al. Long-term safety and efficacy of hydroxychloroquine in patients with IgA nephropathy: a single-center experience. J. Nephrol. 2022;35(2):429–40. Doi: 10.1007/ s40620-021-00988-1.
  20. Zhang Z., Liu X., Ye P. et al. Efficacy and safety of hydroxychloroquine in patients with IgA nephropathy: A meta-analysis. Arch. Esp. Urol. 2024;77(1):16–24. doi: 10.56434/j.arch.esp.urol.20247701.2.
  21. Marmor M.F., Kellner U., Lai T.Y.Y. et al. Recommendations on Screening for Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine Retinopathy (2016 Revision). Ophthalmology. 2016;123:1386–94. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2016.01.058.
  22. Soumita B., Dipankar B., Geetika S. et al. Hydroxychloroquine Reduces Proteinuria in Indian Patients With IgA Nephropathy. Kidney Int. Rep. 2022;7(6):1443–4. doi: 10.1016/j.ekir.2022.04.086.
  23. Tang C., Lv J., Shi S. et al. Long-term safety and efficacy of hydroxychloroquine in patients with IgA nephropathy: a single-center experience. J. Nephrol. 2022;35:429–40. doi: 10.1007/s40620-021-00988-1.
  24. Yu Y., Peng J., Zhou L. et al. Short-term and long-term efficacy, safety assessment and independent prognostic risk factors of hydroxychloroquine in the treatment of IgA nephropathy. Acta Med. Mediterranea. 2020;36:1345–50. doi: 10.19193/0393-6384_2020_3_208.

Supplementary files

Supplementary Files
Action
1. JATS XML

Copyright (c) 2026 Bionika Media