title: Progressive renal failure in patients with lupus nephritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the mode of progression to renal failure in patients with lupus nephritis in relation to disease activity and responsiveness to corticosteroid therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective clinical study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight patients with progressive lupus nephritis (Cr > or = 1.4 mg dl-1).
  
  
  METHODS
  Rapidity of progression was defined as the slope of the reciprocal of serum creatinine values. Lupus activity was scored using the systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index system.
  
  
  METHODS
  Improvement of serum creatinine values after 6 months of therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Rapidity of progression, which was calculated during the deterioration in kidney function, reflected systemic and serological disease activity, and moreover closely correlated with response to corticosteroid therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Akama
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tominaga
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oshima
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ichikawa
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ikeda
mesh_terms: D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008181:Lupus Nephritis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D011239:Prednisolone; D003404:Creatinine