Captopril effect on prostaglandin E2, thromboxane B2 and proteinuria in lupus nephritis patients

Objective: High urinary Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and thromboxane B2 (TxB2) levels have been reported in lupus nephritis (LN). Captopril diminishes proteinuria and improves glomerular filtration rate (GFR), and may have effect on immune function. We evaluate captopril effect on urinary PGE2, and TxB2. Methods: Eighteen LN patients were randomly assigned to two groups. Group 1 received only prednisone plus cyclophosphamide. Group 2 received also captopril. Serum creatinine, GFR, RPF urinary proteins, PGE2 and TxB2, were assessed. Results: There were no differences between the initial and final assessments in Group 1. Group 2 showed a significant decrement in proteinuria (p = 0.003) and serum creatinine (p = 0.01) at the end of the study. PGE2 decreased significantly when compared with the initial value (p = 0.02). Conclusion: Captopril plus usual treatment, improved serum creatinine and decreased proteinuria in parallel with prostaglandin E2 reduction. This effect is not related to changes in GFR or RPF. Captopril may have an immunomodulatory effect on local inflammatory processes in lupus nephritis. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.