title: The long-term clinical outcome of 56 patients with biopsy-proven lupus nephritis followed at a single center.
abstract: We retrospectively evaluated the clinical outcome of 45 female and 11 male patients with biopsy-proven lupus nephritis, followed at our hospital between February 1974 and February 1990. In the majority signs of nephritis were present at the time systemic lupus erythematosus was diagnosed (range: -42-156 months) and the median time from onset of nephritis to biopsy was 2 months. The median follow-up from the time of the biopsy was 53.5 months (range: 2-192), the median age at biopsy 25 years and the median serum creatinine level 1.2 mg/dl. Initial renal biopsies had the following histopathological classes according to the World Health Organization criteria (n): I (2); II (10); III (10); IV (28); V (5); VI (1). Over the study period active episodes were treated with high-dose oral prednisone alone or combined with intravenous nitrogen mustard and oral chlorambucil (1974-75), azathioprine (1978-86), cyclophosphamide (1986-90) and/or plasma-exchange (1976-84). These strategies were based on literature data or multicenter studies in which we participated. Eight patients developed end-stage renal disease (ESRD) (median: 47 months post-biopsy; range: 20-120). In these, initial biopsies showed class IV in seven, and class V in one. Confounded risk factors for ESRD were class IV biopsy, male gender and serum creatinine level above 1.4 mg/dl. The calculated proportion without ESRD 5 years post-biopsy was 87% (95% confidence limits: 98-76%), and at 10 years 70% (95% confidence limits: 90-49%). Five patients (11.2%) died; causes of death were cerebrovascular accident (n = 2), cerebral lupus (n = 2) and S. aureus sepsis (n = 1).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine (Div. Immunopathology), University Hospital, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Derksen
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Hené
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kater
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000209:etiology; D008181:Lupus Nephritis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013256:Steroids
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D013256:Steroids