1. ¹Unità Operativa Nefrologia, Spedali Riuniti, Livorno, Italy
2. ²Division of Nephrology, Keck School of Medicine, USC, Los Angeles, California, USA

Correspondence: VM Campese, Keck School of Medicine, USC, 1200 North State Street, Los Angeles, California 90033, USA. E-mail: campese@usc.edu

Received 1 June 2006; Revised 21 July 2006; Accepted 1 August 2006; Published online 11 October 2006.

Abstract

Experimental evidence suggests that aldosterone contributes to progressive kidney disease. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin type 1 receptor antagonists suppress the renin–angiotensin system but they do not effectively reduce plasma aldosterone. Hence, administration of aldosterone receptor antagonists may provide additional renal protection. In the present prospective randomized open-label study, we evaluated the effects of spironolactone (25 mg/day for 1 year) on proteinuria and estimated glomerular filtration rate in 83 patients with chronic kidney disease already treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and/or angiotensin type 1 receptor antagonists. Eighty-two patients were treated with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and/or angiotensin type 1 receptor antagonists alone and served as controls. After 1 year of therapy, proteinuria decreased from 2.10.08 to 0.890.06 g/g creatinine (P<0.001) in patients treated with spironolactone, but it did not change in control patients. Baseline aldosterone levels were significantly correlated with proteinuria (r=0.76, P<0.0001), and predicted the degree of reduction in proteinuria with spironolactone (r=0.42, P<0.0002). Baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate was similar in patients treated with spironolactone and controls (62.42.4 and 62.22.1 ml/min/1.73 m², respectively). After 1 month of therapy with spironolactone, estimated glomerular filtration rate decreased more in patients treated with spironolactone than in controls. However, by the end of 1 year the monthly rate of decrease in estimated glomerular filtration rate from baseline was lower in patients treated with spironolactone than in controls (0.3230.044 vs 0.4740.037 ml/min/1.73 m², P<0.01). Spironolactone caused a significant rise in serum potassium levels (from 4.20.04 at baseline to 5.00.05 mEq/l after 12 months of treatment, P<0.001). In conclusion, this study has shown that spironolactone may reduce proteinuria and retard renal progression in chronic kidney disease patients.