AUTHOR=Chen Shucheng , Huang Yiqi , Qu Zhongjie 

TITLE=Telitacicept monotherapy for refractory idiopathic membranous nephropathy: a case report and literature review

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Medicine

VOLUME=Volume 12 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/medicine/articles/10.3389/fmed.2025.1571616

DOI=10.3389/fmed.2025.1571616

ISSN=2296-858X

ABSTRACT=BackgroundPatients with refractory membranous nephropathy (MN) face risks of progressive renal decline and end-stage renal disease (ESRD), with limited treatment efficacy. Telitacicept, a novel humanized recombinant fusion protein effective in lupus nephritis and immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN), has few reports on its use in refractory MN.Case presentationIn May 2023, an 82-year-old man was admitted to Shaoxing Second Hospital with bilateral lower extremity edema. A renal biopsy confirmed idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN). Standard therapies, including glucocorticoids (GC), cyclophosphamide (CYC), tacrolimus (TAC), and rituximab (RTX), were ineffective. He developed steroid-induced diabetes and acute renal failure during treatment. Complete proteinuria remission was achieved with telitacicept monotherapy. The patient is under ongoing clinical follow-up.ConclusionTelitacicept holds promise as a potential second-line therapy for refractory MN when conventional treatments prove ineffective. However, due to the current lack of robust evidence supporting its use in IMN, further research is warranted to establish its clinical efficacy and safety.