Most of the patients were treated according to the accepted standards at our center as follows: (1) full doses of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEis) and/or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) were recommended for all the patients with proteinuria or hypertension; (2) steroids were used in cases of massive proteinuria (> 1 g/d); and (3) other immunosuppressive agents were considered in patients with impaired kidney function or rapidly progressing kidney function decline (an increase in SCr > 15% in the year prior to entry into the trial) [19]. This evidence concerns the gene ACE and hypertensive disorder.