[The role of immunosuppressive agents in the treatment of nephrosis in children].

Good clinical results are well known with the use of immunosuppressive therapy in children with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome; more recently, biological data have enhanced immunological anomalies, concerning mainly T helper lymphocytes. The need for steroids may decrease when relapsing nephrotic syndrome is associated with steroid intoxication and is absent when corticoresistance occurs. In these cases, the use of immunosuppressive agents is justified, but limited by side effects and toxicity. In patients treated with alkylating agents and now cyclosporine, good responses are often seen in frequently relapsing children whereas the course of steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome is not significantly modified. However, the definite appreciation of such therapeutic results has to be further precised by both histological data and multicentric studies concerning new protocols.