Li 2015.

Study characteristics
Methods	Study design: parallel, open‐label RCT Study duration: January 2008 to January 2013 Duration of follow‐up: 6 to 48 months; mean duration was 13.5 ± 6.2 months
Participants	Setting: single centre Country: China Age: 65‐81 years Sex: 15 men, 12 women Inclusion criteria: IMN confirmed by biopsy examined using light microscopy, immunofluorescence, and electron microscopy, and the condition of the patients was pathologically diagnosed as IMN stage I and II; 24‐hour protein levels > 4 g; > 65 years Baseline characteristics Mean proteinuria ± SD (g/24 hours): treatment group (7.5 ± 3.8); control group (7.2 ± 3.4) Mean eGFR ± SD (mL/min/1.73 m²): treatment group (70.9 ± 11.9); control group (69.6 ± 10.3) Mean triglyceride ± SD (mmol/L): not reported SCr (µmol/L): treatment group (91.6 ± 20.9); control group (98.8 ± 15.1) Mean serum cholesterol ± SD (mmol/L): not reported Disease‐course (time since diagnosis) at immunosuppressive treatment initiation: not reported Pathological classification: stage I or stage 2 Co‐morbidities: not reported Co‐medications: all patients received lipid‐lowering drugs and anti‐platelet adhesion drugs. BP was controlled to target < 140/90 mm Hg Number: treatment group (13); control group (14) Mean age (years): treatment group (74.8): control group (75.1) Sex (M/F) 15/12: treatment group (10/3); control group (10/4) Exclusion criteria: secondary membranous nephropathy induced by secondary factors such as autoimmune diseases, cancer, infections and drugs, or atypical membranous nephropathy; HIV infection; diagnosed with malignant tumour infection; active hepatitis B or C or with positive replication indexes
Interventions	Treatment group CSA (oral) initial dose was 2 mg/kg/day and the treatment duration was not less than 6 months Methylprednisolone (oral): initial dose was 0.4 mg/kg/day which gradually decreased after 8 to 12 weeks administration; the total duration of treatment was 6 to 12 months Control group Low‐dose CSA
Outcomes	Clinical remission rate: complete + partial remission / total number of patients x 100% Complete remission: defined as urinary protein level ≤ 0.3 g/day, serum albumin level > 35 g/L, stable kidney function (increase in the SCr < 15% of the baseline value) Partial remission: defined as the decrease in urinary protein level by more than 50% of the baseline value, urinary protein level ≤ 3.5 g/day, stable kidney function No remission: defined as the decrease in the urinary protein level less than 50% of the baseline value, or the urinary protein level was > 3.5 g/day or the SCr > 50% of the baseline value Safety Adverse reactions observed during the treatment were infection, osteonecrosis, steroid glycosuria, and hepatonephritic toxicity, and patients discontinued treatment Complications were steroid diabetes Hypertension (uncontrollable) Infection SCr increase > 50% Recurrence rate after drug withdrawal
Notes	Funding source: not reported
Risk of bias
Bias	Authors' judgement	Support for judgement
Random sequence generation (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Insufficient information to permit judgement
Allocation concealment (selection bias)	Unclear risk	Insufficient information to permit judgement
Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes	High risk	Open‐label study
Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes	Unclear risk	Insufficient information to permit judgement
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes	Low risk	Reasonable and comprehensive outcome reporting. Unable to determine if more were randomised than reported
Selective reporting (reporting bias)	Low risk	Reports on remissions, most appropriate outcome. All outcomes were reported
Other bias	Low risk	No evidence for other bias. no evidence for conflict of interest, however, no trial protocol published