Current therapy for inherited protinuric kidney disease remains limited. Renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system (RAAS) inhibitors such as Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) help to control proteinuria and slow the progression of kidney function loss. However, a substantial proportion of patients progress to end-stage renal disease, which is partly associated with high residual proteinuria. Novel therapies to decrease proteinuria and limit CKD progression are needed. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been extensively used in China for thousands of years and favored in treatment of chronic disease for multi-factorial, multi-target action.~The investigators' hypothesis is that this traditional Chinese medicine, targeted to podocyte injury and repair named Gu Shen Juan Yu Formula, can significantly reduce proteinuria and delay renal function loss in patients with proteinuric kidney disease. To test this hypothesis, the investigators plan to initiate a multicenter, open-label, two-arm, parallel-design, randomized clinical trial in 144 children with proteinuria kidney disease. The study population will consist of children with proteinuria who are on receiving routine therapy such as ACE inhibitor or angiotensin II receptor blocker treatment. In this study, participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive TCM+ Routine Therapy or Routine Therapy for 12 weeks. The primary objective was to measure the change of urine protein excretion and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) during the treatment period.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether traditional Chinese medicine, Gu Shen Juan Yu Formula, as complementary treatment is safe and effective in the treatment of Inherited Proteinuric Kidney Disease.