title: Lupus nephritis in African Americans.
abstract: Lupus nephritis is more common and severe in African American women. Despite aggressive immunosuppressive therapies employed in lupus nephritis, African Americans have a higher incidence of progression to end-stage renal disease. The reasons for the racial disparities are not clear, but seem to be due to genetic, environmental, and socioeconomic factors. Hypertension and proteinuria are well-defined prognostic factors that significantly impact the course of renal disease progression for most forms of renal disease. However, clinical trials in lupus nephritis to date have not evaluated the role of aggressive antihypertensive or antiproteinuric therapies in retarding renal disease progression. Thus, additional studies are needed to better elucidate the natural history of lupus nephritis in African Americans and to optimize therapeutic strategies for those who are identified as being at high risk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia 30322, USA. jlea@emory.edu
authors.forename: Janice P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Lea
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American; D044383:Black People; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000208:ethnology / Q000209:etiology; D008181:Lupus Nephritis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D012074:Remission Induction; D012307:Risk Factors