| Study | Reason for exclusion |
|---|---|
| Abaigar 1993 | Individuals with NS caused by non‐MCD comparing two levels of dietary protein intake. (Not MCD) |
| Arora 2002 | Case control study of patients with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (N = 15) receiving either ACE inhibitor or supportive treatment. No patient had MCD. (Not MCD) |
| Bagga 1997 | RCT in children comparing two regimens for prednisone treatment of childhood NS. (Not adult NS) |
| Bagga 1999 | Study in childhood NS. (Not adult NS) |
| Bargman 1999 | Review article of treatment for MCD in adults and children. (Not RCT) |
| Beige 2003 | Abstract of pilot observational study of tacrolimus to treat adults (N = 7) with steroid‐resistant or relapsing NS. Three individuals had MCD. (Not RCT) |
| Black 1970 | Multicentre RCT of oral prednisone compared with no treatment in 125 people (aged 15 years and over), with the NS. Causes of the syndrome were MCD, membranous nephropathy, and proliferative glomerulonephritis. Unable to interpret outcomes in MCD category due to inadequate baseline data. |
| Broyer 1995 | RCT in paediatric NS. (Not adult NS) |
| Choi 2002 | Retrospective analysis of mycophenolate mofetil in biopsy proven glomerular disease complicated by NS and/or kidney failure. (Not RCT) |
| Cole 1994 | Commentary regarding need for collaborative study in childhood NS caused by MCD. (Not RCT) |
| Deighan 2001 | RCT cross‐over design study of adults with proteinuria >3 g/d, biopsy proven glomerulonephritis comparing cerivastatin with fenofibrate. Two out of 12 patients had MCD. (Not MCD) |
| Dilek 1999 | Controlled prospective study comparing enalapril with losartan in NS. Single patient had MCD. (Not MCD) |
| Don 1989 | RCT in 12 individuals with NS comparing reduction in dietary protein intake with enalapril. No patients had MCD. (Not MCD) |
| El‐Reshaid 1995 | Observational study of cyclosporine in refractory adult nephrotic syndrome > 4 months. (Not RCT) |
| Gentile 1993 | RCT comparing vegetarian soy diet with or without fish oil supplements. Not all participants had NS. No patient had biopsy‐proven MCD. (Not NS, not MCD) |
| Groggel 1989 | RCT comparing gemfibrozil with no treatment in adult NS (N = 11). No participant had MCD. (Not MCD) |
| Gulati 1973 | Patients between 13 and 56 years with NS and biopsy‐proven glomerular disease. Randomised study comparing prednisolone with placebo. Fourteen of 42 participants with MCD. (Not MCD) |
| Ishikawa 1982 | Not MCD. |
| Koike 2002 | Observational study. (Not RCT) |
| Kumar 2004 | RCT comparing ramipril with verapamil in adults with idiopathic NS not showing reduction in proteinuria despite 12 weeks of oral prednisone 2 mg/kg on alternate days. No patient had biopsy‐proven MCD. (Not MCD) |
| Lee 1995 | Observational study of the efficacy and tolerability of cyclosporine in 30 patients with adult NS. Rate of relapse after withdrawal was assessed after treatment. (Not RCT) |
| Leisti 1978 | Paediatric study. (Not adult NS) |
| Mansy 1989 | RCT cross‐over study of 3 levels of protein intake in patients with NS. Two of 12 patients had biopsy proven MCD. (Not MCD) |
| Martins 1994 | Observational single‐arm study. Open prospective 2‐year study of lovastatin in biopsy‐proven primary NS. (Not RCT) |
| Matl 1997 | Quasi‐RCT of 30 patients with chronic glomerular disease proven by biopsy and protein excretion rate higher than 3 g/d randomised to either cyclosporine (5 mg/kg/d) or cyclophosphamide (1.5 mg/kg/d) for 6 months or until remission. Combined aetiology for NS. (Non MCD) |
| Matsubara 2002 | Correspondence describing 2 case reports of combined therapy with camostat mesilate and glycyrrhin for steroid‐dependent NS. (Not RCT) |
| Matsumoto 2004 | Prospective non‐randomised study of methylprednisolone + cyclosporine versus cyclosporine versus prednisone in 36 adults with biopsy‐proven MCD and NS. (Not RCT) |
| Matzkies 1999 | Observational study of fluvastatin (N = 10) in adults with all‐cause NS. (Not RCT) |
| Meyrier 1988 | Observational study of cyclosporine treatment in 56 participants over 14 years of age with NS, MCD in 23. (Not RCT) |
| Meyrier 1991 | Two single arm observational studies in patients with NS (either cyclosporine monotherapy or cyclosporine and prednisone). (Not RCT) |
| Meyrier 1994 | Longitudinal follow up study of cyclosporine in 36 adults with steroid‐dependent or steroid‐resistant idiopathic NS. (Not RCT) |
| Meyrier 1996 | Review article of the utility of cyclosporine treatment for NS in adults. (Not RCT) |
| Mocan 1997 | Paediatric participants. (Not adult NS) |
| Naigui 1997 | RCT for cyclosporine versus prednisone and cyclophosphamide versus prednisone in nephrotic syndrome. Undefined numbers of patients had NS caused by MCD, focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis, membranous nephropathy and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis. (Not MCD) |
| Ni 2003 | Unclear whether RCT. Comparison of leflunomide and prednisone with cyclophosphamide and prednisone in 41 patients with NS (MCD=12). (Not RCT, not MCD) |
| Niaudet 1994 | Review article. (Not RCT) |
| Olbricht 1999 | RCT of simvastatin versus placebo in 56 patients with NS. No patient had MCD. (Not MCD) |
| Pecoraro 2003 | Paediatric study. (Not adult NS) |
| Piccoli 1993 | RCT comparing deflazacort and prednisone for adults with NS. No patients with MCD were enrolled. (Non‐MCD) |
| Pirisi 1998 | Observational study of immunosuppression in NS (No patient with MCD was enrolled). (Not MCD, not RCT) |
| Ponticelli 1993 | Multicentre RCT of 73 patients (adults and children) comparing cyclophosphamide with cyclosporine in steroid dependent or frequently relapsing idiopathic NS. Included people with a kidney biopsy showing focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis. |
| Ponticelli 1993A | RCT of cyclosporine in steroid‐resistant idiopathic NS. Included people with either MCD or focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. |
| Rabelink 1988 | RCT of simvastatin versus cholestyramine in NS. No patient had MCD. (Not MCD) |
| Reichert 1999 | Pharmacokinetic observational study of prednisone in all‐cause NS. No patient had MCD. (Not RCT) |
| Sharpstone 1969 | RCT of 8‐week courses of prednisone with or without azathioprine. Patients entering study with MCD were not randomised. (Not RCT) |
| Shibasaki 2004 | Comparative study of mizoribine versus standard care in steroid resistant NS. 28/175 had NS caused by MCD or focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (combine histological category). (Not MCD) |
| Spitalewitz 1993 | Prospective double‐blind placebo‐controlled study of pravastatin versus placebo in patients with NS. No patient had MCD. (Not MCD) |
| Sural 2001 | RCT of levamisole versus steroid and cyclophosphamide in childhood NS. (Not adult NS) |
| Tejani 1988 | Children (1‐18 years) with NS > 1 year randomised to high‐dose prednisone versus cyclosporine and low‐dose prednisone. (Not adult NS) |
| Thomas 1993 | Patients with sub‐nephrotic range proteinuria, steroid‐responsive MCD was an exclusion criteria. (Not MCD, Not NS) |
| Toto 2000 | RCT of adults with NS from any glomerular cause (not described in detail) dichotomised into those with hypercholesterolaemia or mixed dyslipidaemia. (Not MCD) |
| Uldall 1972 | Observational study of cyclophosphamide in 10 individuals with NS due to MCD. (Not RCT) |
| Wyszynska 1988 | Single arm study in children. (Not RCT) |
| Ye 1993 | Cause of NS not defined. RCT comparing short duration prednisone (< 8 weeks) versus longer duration (> 8 weeks). (Not MCD) |
| Yoshikawa 1995 | Observational study in children. (Not RCT) |
MCD ‐ minimal change disease; NS ‐ nephrotic syndrome