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Background: The optimal therapeutic regimen for managing childhood idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS) is still under debate. We have evaluated the choice of steroid regimen and of symptomatic treatment adopted by pediatricians and pediatric nephrologists in a large number of centers as the first step towards establishing a shared protocol Methods: This was a multicenter, retrospective study. A total of 231 children (132 admitted to pediatric units) aged 6 months to <15 years who presented with onset of nephrotic syndrome to 54 pediatric units and six pediatric nephrology units in Italy between 2007 and 2009 were eligible for entry into the study. Results: Median steroid dosing was 55 (range 27-75) mg/m/day. The overall median cumulative dose regimen for the first episode was 3,440 (1,904-6,035) mg/m, and the median duration of the therapeutic regimen was 21 (9-48) weeks. The total duration and cumulative steroid dose were significantly higher in patients treated by pediatricians than in those treated by pediatric nephrologists ( p = 0.001 and p = 0.008). Among the patient cohort, 55, 64 and 22 % received albumin infusions, diuretics and acetyl salicylic acid treatment, respectively, but the laboratory and clinical data did not differ between children treated or not treated with symptomatic drugs. Albumin and diuretic use did not vary between patients in pediatric units and those in pediatric nephrology units. Conclusions: This study shows major differences in steroid and symptomatic treatment of nephrotic syndrome by pediatricians and pediatric nephrologists. As these differences can influence the efficacy of the treatments and the appearance of side-effects, shared guidelines and their implementation through widespread educational activities are necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The management of steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome (SSNS) requires treatment with high-dose glucocorticoids (GCs), but GC usage causes the most frequent form of drug-induced osteoporosis. The aim of our study was to evaluate the impact of GCs on bone mineralization in patients with SSNS using two diagnostic tools, dual-energy X-ray densitometry (DXA) and quantitative ultrasound (QUS), and to compare the diagnostic efficacy of these two imaging tools. Methods: A total of 30 children with SSNS (age 5.20 ± 2.20 years) were evaluated at the start (T0) and after 1 (T1), 2.44 ± 0.75 (T2, 18 patients) and 5.96 ± 2.33 years (T4, 12 patients) of GC treatment. Patients who stopped at T2 were also evaluated at the 1-year timepoint after ceasing GC treatment (T3). Results: Of the patients assessed at T2, 11 had bone mineralization at the lower limit of normal versus those at T0 and T1, with bone mineralization rescue at the 1-year timepoint after GC discontinuation. At T4, 6/12 patients had densitometric parameters at the lower limit of normal values, and 3/12 patients showed reduced bone mineralization. The parameters derived from measurements of DXA and QUS were significantly related to each timepoint. Conclusions: Patients with SSNS receiving GC therapy undergo bone status alteration related to the dosage and duration of the therapy. In terms of diagnostic efficacy, DXA and QUS were comparable, indicating that QUS is a reliable tool to evaluate bone health in children with SSNS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]