Immunosuppressive therapy in glomerular diseases Major accomplishment of Tadeusz Orłowski and his school

Glomerulopathies are the third most common cause of end-stage renal failure. Immunosuppressive treatment of glomerulonephritis in a systematic way was introduced in Poland by Professor Tadeusz Orłowski in the early 1960s. The studies were conducted at the First Department of Medicine and at the Transplantation Institute of the Medical Academy in Warsaw in the years 1962–1988. This paper critically reviews the results of studies on the use of combined, triple-drug (prednisone/chlorambucil/ azathioprine), immunosuppressive protocol in various patho logical forms of glomerulopathies. We conclude that immunosuppressive protocols pioneered by Tadeusz Orłowski continue to be the backbone of the treatment of glomerulonephritis, especially the one with nephrotic syndrome, progressive impairment of kidney function and poor prognosis.