Lupus nephritis

Alternative names:

lupus glomerular disease; nephritis - lupus

Symptoms:

• blood in the urine
• foamy appearance to urine
• swelling of any area of the body
• elevated blood pressure

Symptoms of SLE may include:

• joint pain
• joint swelling
• joint redness
• rash
  • commonly on the face but may occur on other areas
  • characteristic "butterfly" distribution

• chest pain, sharp and stabbing
• cough
• sun sensitivity
  • fever may develop after exposure to sun
  • rash may develop after exposure to sun

• fatigue
• mouth ulcers, painless
• neurologic changes
  • seizures
  • dementia or psychosis

Signs and tests:

Examination indicates decreased kidney functioning with edema and may indicate renal failure. Blood pressure may be high. Abnormal sounds may be heard on auscultation of the heart and lungs, indicating fluid overload. Lupus nephritis is usually discovered during investigation of the causes of reduced kidney function. Fewer than one-half have other symptoms of systemic lupus erythematosus at the time of diagnosis of lupus nephritis.

• A urinalysis is abnormal with protein, casts, and red blood cells present in the urine.
• An ANA titer is high.
• Syphilis tests may be falsely positive.
• BUN and creatinine may be used to assess kidney functioning.
• A lupus erythematosus (LE) cell test is positive.
• A Kidney biopsy is indicated, not to diagnose lupus nephritis, but to determine what treatment is appropriate for the renal component of SLE.
• A urine immunoglobulin light chain is elevated.

This disease may also alter the results of the following tests:

• complement component 3
• complement