The Clinical Evaluation of Kidney Disease in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Abstract

Kidney injury is common in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), most often due to immune complexes that accumulate in glomeruli, resulting in lupus nephritis. Glomerular immune complexes provoke an inflammatory response that damages the renal parenchyma. Lupus nephritis is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in SLE, suggesting that patients with lupus nephritis have a more severe form of systemic lupus. Lupus nephritis often responds to treatment. The best outcomes occur when nephritis is diagnosed and treated early. This chapter discusses the evaluation of SLE patients for lupus nephritis.