Lupus nephritis
Nephritis - lupus; Lupus glomerular diseaseLupus nephritis, which is a kidney disorder, is a complication of systemic lupus erythematosus.
Systemic lupus erythematosus
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease. In this disease, the immune system of the body mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. It c...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleCauses
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, or lupus) is an autoimmune disease. This means there is a problem with the body's immune system.
Autoimmune disease
An autoimmune disorder occurs when the body's immune system attacks and destroys healthy body tissue by mistake. There are more than 80 autoimmune d...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleNormally, the immune system helps protect the body from infection or harmful substances. But in people with an autoimmune disease, the immune system cannot tell the difference between harmful substances and healthy ones. As a result, the immune system attacks otherwise healthy cells and tissues.
SLE may damage different parts of the kidney. This can lead to disorders such as:
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Interstitial nephritis
Interstitial nephritis
Interstitial nephritis is a kidney disorder in which the spaces between the kidney tubules become swollen (inflamed). This can cause problems with t...
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Nephrotic syndrome
Nephrotic syndrome
Nephrotic syndrome is a group of symptoms and abnormal test results that include protein in the urine, low blood protein levels in the blood, high ch...
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Membranous glomerulonephritis
Membranous glomerulonephritis
Membranous nephropathy is a kidney disorder that leads to changes and inflammation of the structures inside the kidney that help filter wastes and fl...
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Symptoms
Symptoms of lupus nephritis include:
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Blood in the urine
Blood in the urine
Blood in your urine is called hematuria. The amount may be very small and only detected with urine tests or under a microscope. In other cases, the...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Foamy appearance to urine
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Swelling (edema) of any area of the body
Swelling
Swelling is the enlargement of organs, skin, or other body parts. It is caused by a buildup of fluid in the tissues. The extra fluid can lead to a ...
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Exams and Tests
Your health care provider will perform a physical exam and ask about your symptoms. Abnormal sounds may be heard when the provider listens to your heart and lungs.
Tests that may be done include:
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ANA titer
ANA
The antinuclear antibody panel is a blood test that looks at antinuclear antibodies (ANA). ANA are antibodies produced by the immune system that bind...
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BUN and creatinine
BUN
BUN stands for blood urea nitrogen. Urea nitrogen is what forms when protein breaks down. A test can be done to measure the amount of urea nitrogen ...
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The creatinine blood test measures the level of creatinine in the blood. This test is done to see how well your kidneys are working. Creatinine in t...
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Complement levels
Complement
Complement is a blood test that measures the activity of certain proteins in the liquid portion of your blood. The complement system is a group of ne...
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Urinalysis
Urinalysis
Urinalysis is the physical, chemical, and microscopic examination of urine. It involves a number of tests to detect and measure various compounds th...
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Kidney biopsy, to determine appropriate treatment
Kidney biopsy
A kidney biopsy is the removal of a small piece of kidney tissue for examination.
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Treatment
The goal of treatment is to improve kidney function and to delay kidney failure.
Medicines may include drugs that suppress the immune system, such as corticosteroids, cyclophosphamide, mycophenolate mofetil, or azathioprine.
You may need dialysis to control symptoms of kidney failure, sometimes for only a while. A kidney transplant may be recommended. People with active lupus should not have a transplant because the condition can occur in the transplanted kidney.
Dialysis
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy is a condition that causes muscle weakness and loss of muscle tissue that gets worse over time.
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleOutlook (Prognosis)
How well you do depends on the specific form of lupus nephritis. You may have flare-ups, and then times when you do not have any symptoms.
Some people with this condition develop long-term (chronic) kidney failure.
Although lupus nephritis may return in a transplanted kidney, it rarely leads to end-stage kidney disease.
Possible Complications
Complications that may result from lupus nephritis include:
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Acute renal failure
Acute renal failure
Acute kidney failure is the rapid (less than 2 days) loss of your kidneys' ability to remove waste and help balance fluids and electrolytes in your b...
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Chronic renal failure
Chronic renal failure
Chronic kidney disease is the slow loss of kidney function over time. The main job of the kidneys is to remove wastes and excess water from the body...
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When to Contact a Medical Professional
Contact your provider if you have blood in your urine or swelling of your body.
Blood in your urine
Blood in your urine is called hematuria. The amount may be very small and only detected with urine tests or under a microscope. In other cases, the...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleSwelling
Swelling is the enlargement of organs, skin, or other body parts. It is caused by a buildup of fluid in the tissues. The extra fluid can lead to a ...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleIf you have lupus nephritis, contact your provider if you notice decreased urine output.
Decreased urine output
Decreased urine output means that you produce less urine than normal. Most adults make at least 500 milliliters of urine in 24 hours (a little over ...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticlePrevention
Treating lupus may help prevent or delay onset of lupus nephritis.
References
Hahn BH, McMahon M, Wilkinson A, et al. American College of Rheumatology guidelines for screening, case definition, treatment and management of lupus nephritis. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2012;64(6):797-808. PMCID: 3437757 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3437757/.
Malvar A, Alberton V, Rovin BH. Lupus nephritis. In: Johnson RJ, Floege J, Tonelli M, eds. Comprehensive Clinical Nephrology. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 27.
Radhakrishnan J, Stokes MB. Glomerular disorders and nephrotic syndromes. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 107.
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Systemic lupus erythematosus
Animation
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Kidney anatomy - illustration
The kidneys are responsible for removing wastes from the body, regulating electrolyte balance and blood pressure, and the stimulation of red blood cell production.
Kidney anatomy
illustration
Review Date: 8/28/2023
Reviewed By: Walead Latif, MD, Nephrologist and Clinical Associate Professor, Rutgers Medical School, Newark, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.