Sheffield Kidney Institute

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a prototypical autoimmune disease that can potentially involve every organ. Its clinical spectrum is therefore extremely heterogeneous and varies from relatively mild cases (e.g., involving only the skin or joints) to life-threatening manifestations, with renal impairment, severe cytopenias, or central nervous system disease, not to mention an increased rate of thromboembolic events.¹

Kidney involvement (mainly glomerulonephritis) occurs in at least one third of patients with lupus and significantly affects survival.² The initial clinical presentation of lupus nephritis ranges from asymptomatic proteinuria discovered on routine urinalysis to the nephrotic syndrome with or without renal impairment. Histologic examination . . .