Table 2 Summary of included PE vs pulse steroid treatment RCT in this review
Source | Inclusion criteria | Exclusion criteria | No. of patients | Interventions | Primary outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A diagnosis of WG or MPA; biopsy proven, pauci-immune, necrotizing, and/or crescentic glomerulonephritis, in the absence of other glomerulopathy; serum creatinine > 500 μmol/L. | Age < 18 or > 80 years; inadequate contraception in women of childbearing age; pregnancy; previous malignancy; HBV antigenaemia, anti-HCV, or anti-HIV antibody; other multisystem autoimmune disease; anti-GBM disease; life-threatening non-renal manifestations of vasculitis, including alveolar haemorrhage requiring mechanical ventilation within 24 h of admission; dialysis for > 2 weeks before entry; creatinine> 200 mol/L > 1 year before entry; a second clearly defined cause of renal failure; previous episode of biopsy-proven necrotizing and/or crescentic glomerulonephritis; > 2 weeks of treatment with cyclophosphamide or azathioprine; > 500 mg of intravenous methylprednisolone; PE within the preceding year; > 3 months of treatment with oral prednisolone; allergy to study medications. | 137, MPA (69%) or GPA (31%) | PE†[(a) centrifugation or filter separation, (b) 5% albumin, (c) 60 mL/kg, (d) 7 sessions within 14 days] vs pulse steroid treatment, [intravenous methylpredonisolone 1000 mg/day for 3 days] | Renal recovery at 3 months |