What Is the Current Recommended Treatment for Lupus Nephritis?
Medical Author: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR Medical Editor: Leslie J. Schoenfield, MD, PhD Lupus nephritis is kidney disease that is caused by lupus. To start, it must be understood that there are many forms of kidney disease that are referred to as lupus nephritis. Each form is distinguished by characteristic patterns of abnormalities as defined by a kidney biopsy. (A biopsy is the removal of a sample of tissue for microscopic examination.) Typically, the findings on a kidney biopsy of a lupus patient are classified according to the appearance of the tissue and immune abnormalities seen under the microscope. In addition to the numerous unique forms of lupus kidney disease, other types of kidney diseases that are not from lupus can sometimes occur in a patient with lupus. While treatment for lupus nephritis can sometimes be initiated without a kidney biopsy, more often, a biopsy is done before starting treatment. Thus, when the blood tests and the overall state of the lupus di
