title: [Proliferative mesangial lupus nephritis: description of a cohort of 27 patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe our cohort of 27 biopsy-proven patients and their long-term follow-up, with special attention to prognostic factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty seven patients were retrospectively collected. They were controlled in the Internal Medicine Department of the Bellvitge's Hospital (Spain) between 1974 and 2010. Evaluation was performed at one, 3 and 5 year follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 22 women (81.5%). Mean age at onset of nephritis was 34.83 years (SD 13.45). Partial or complete remission was achieved by 21 patients (80.77%) in the one-year follow-up, 22 patients (84.61%) in the third-year follow-up and 21 patients (77.77%) in the fifth-year follow-up. A change in the histology class was diagnosed in 4 patients. Seven patients suffered flares of nephritis. Seven patients died in the long term follow-up, 3 out of this 7 died because of systemic erythematosus lupus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nephritis onset beyond 45 years old is the factor mostly related with a poor prognosis. That is the reason why we recommend co-therapy with immunosuppressors from the beginning in such patients.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Medicina Interna, Unidad de Enfermedades Autoinmunes, Hospital Universitario de Bellvitge, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, España. mrubiorivas@yahoo.es
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rubio-Rivas
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gómez-Junyent
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Simonetti
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mitjavila
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Capdevila
authors.forename: Ramón
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pujol
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018450:Disease Progression; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008181:Lupus Nephritis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011241:Prednisone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D011241:Prednisone