Pilot Study of Atorvastatin in Children With Chronic Hyperlipidemia Secondary to Nephrotic Syndrome

PROTOCOL ENTRY CRITERIA: --Disease Characteristics-- Chronic hyperlipidemia with treatment-resistant nephrotic syndrome; Must have received at least 2 months of therapy with steroids on a daily or alternate basis Primary nephropathy described as minimal change nephrotic syndrome, mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis, IgM neuropathy, and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis Glomerular filtration rate at least 30 mL/min LDL cholesterol at least 160 mg/dL --Prior/Concurrent Therapy-- No concurrent medications affecting or interacting with lipids or atorvastatin, with the exception of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors at discretion of referring physician, including: lipid-lowering medications, beta blockers, thiazides, fish oils, cyclosporine, Cytoxan, azathioprine, chlorambucil, and erythromycin Concurrent prednisone and other corticosteroids allowed on a continual basis at a dose of no greater than 1 mg/kg every other day (maximum dose, no greater than 40 mg every other day); Concurrent acute courses of steroids no greater than 1 week for other unrelated conditions (e.g., asthma) also allowed --Patient Characteristics-- Hepatic: ALT or AST less than 2 times normal Renal: See Disease Characteristics; Creatine phosphokinase less than 3 times normal Other: No history of familial hypercholesterolemia; No systemic disease such as systemic lupus, Schoenlein-Henoch purpura, Hodgkin's disease, polyarteritis nodosum, sickle cell disease, or HIV; Not pregnant; Effective contraception required of all adolescent patients