Text Box: CLINICAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE EFFECTS OF DOUBLE DOSES OF GLUCOSIDES OF TWH FOR NEPHROTIC SYNDROME IN CHILDREN Liu GL, Xia ZK, Gao YF, et al Department of Pediatrics, Nanjing JinLing Hospital, Nanjing, China Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic effects of double doses of total glucosides of Tripterygium Wilfordii Hook F (TWH) for the treatment of nephrotic syndrome in children. Method: During the preceding one year the glucosides of TWH were used in a dose of 2 mg/kg body weight daily for 4 weeks to treat 46 consecutive children with primary nephrotic syndrome confirmed by clinical examinations in our hospital. After 4 weeks, one half the dose of the glucosides of TWH was used as a maintenance dose. Results: During the treatment, 35 children had a remission. Overall remission rate was 76.1%. (The remission rate in 11 children with minimal change nephrotic syndrome, MCNS was 81.8%; in 27 children with Slightly membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, MsPGN was 81.5%; in 5 children with membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, MPGN was 60.0%; in 3 children with membranous nephrosis MN was 33.3%). Evidence of improvement was obtained in 9 children. Overall effective rate was 95.7%. During 3 months of follow-up study there was no relapse. Conclusion: Therapeutic effects are greatly related to the different pathologic varieties of diseases. When the children with nephrotic syndrome clinically failed to respond to hormones or were drug-resistant, renal biopsy should be performed to confirm pathologic diagnosis. It is justifiable to commence double doses of the glucosides of TWH alone for the treatment of children with MCNS, MSPGN and MPGN to avoid side reactions produced by prolonged administration of hormones. 1004