The utilization of immunosuppressive agents presents patients with autoimmune nephrosis at a high risk of infection. The present trial was to investigate the efficacy and safety of Broncho-Vaxom on preventing infection in immunosuppressive patients with autoimmune nephrosis.
Methods: 40 patients with autoimmune nephrosis were randomly divided into two groups. The control group (20 cases) routinely received corticosteroid and (or) immunosuppressive therapy, while the treatment group (20 cases) received a capsule containing 7 mg Broncho-Vaxom daily for the first 10 d of each month for 3 consecutive months on the basis of conventional corticosteroid and (or) immunosuppressive therapy. The condition of infection and blood lymphocyte were assessed.
Results: 4 patients in the treatment group and 5 patients in the control group were lost during the follow-up period. 25% of patients in the treatment group and 40% of patients in the control group suffered infection. There was no difference in the incidence of infection between the two groups (p > 0.05), while Broncho-Vaxom treated patients suffered a shorter infection period and of which fewer patients need to receive antibiotics therapy (p < 0.05). After the treatment with Broncho-Vaxom, the total number of blood T lymphocyte, proportion of CD4 (+) T lymphocyte, CD4 (+) /CD8 (+) reduced less and the serum IgG rose more obviously (p < 0.05), but the blood lymphocyte, B lymphocyte, CD8 (+) T lymphocyte, IgA and IgM have no differences between the two groups (p > 0.05).
Conclusion: Broncho-Vaxom might be a good choice for preventing the respiratory infection in nephrosis, especially in the patients under the therapy of immunosuppressive agents.
Keywords: Glomerulonephritis; Immunostimulating Bacterial Lysate; Nephrotic Syndrome; Respiratory infection; T lymphocyte subsets; glomerulonephritis.