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Lupus nephritis is an immune system disease that causes inflammation of the kidney brought about by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Eventually it also affects other organs in the body such as the skin and nervous system organs.
It is believed that anywhere between 30-50 percent of those suffering from lupus will develop lupus nephritis in the first 10 years of their diagnosis. (Source: Lupus U.K published from the National Magazine.; Report Title: Lupus And The Kidneys; Author: Dr. V. Sat Reddy, Specialist Registrar in Renal Medicine, Wordsley Hospital, West Midlands ; URL: http://www.lupusuk.org.uk/latest-news/from-the-national-magazine/66-lupus-and-the-kidneys)
Symptoms of lupus nephritis may or may not include indications typical to a kidney disease. The symptoms include:
• Fever
• Weight gain
• Fatigue
• High blood pressure
• Darker foamy urine
• Arthritis
• Gastro-intestinal disturbances
• Presence of fluids in joints
• Swelling around the eyes, legs, ankles or fingers
• Headaches
• Itching
• Nausea
Several diagnostic tests are available to doctors to confirm the presence of SLE in a person resulting in lupus nephritis. These are:
1. Urine Test: The urine is tested to detect any signs of blood, leucocytes or protein therein which could signal kidney damage due to lupus nephritis. The doctor will run more tests beyond the urine analysis and exclude other infections of the kidney that may show the presence of blood or protein in the urine sample.
2. Blood Tests such as:
a. ANA titer or the antinuclear antibody. This measures the extent, pattern and amount of concentration of anti-nuclear antibodies in our blood. These antibodies are present in low concentration or titers in healthy beings but those with autoimmune diseases show a higher concentration or titer value of ANA because they are produced to attack the body’s own tissues that are healthy, thinking that they are harmful foreign material as the immune system is unable to distinguish between healthy and disease-causing materials. (Source: Lab Tests Online; Report Title: ANA; Author: American Association for Clinical Chemistry ; Last Reviewed on October 18th, 2010; URL: http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/ana/test.html)
b. BUN or the blood urea nitrogen test is run to check the level of nitrogen (in the form of urea, a waste product eliminated from blood by our kidneys), present in the blood and the test is generally used along with a blood creatinine test to evaluate kidney function. The BUN reading will be high in case of a malfunctioning kidney. (Source: Lab Tests Online; Report Title: BUN; Author: American Association for Clinical Chemistry ; Last Reviewed on March 23rd, 2009; URL: http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/bun/test.html)
c. Blood Creatinine test: These are waste products that are eliminated by the kidneys. When the kidney function is affected due to infection, the elimination of these wastes from the blood is not effective and their levels in blood will be elevated in the blood test.
d. ESR or the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, if high, suggests the presence of lupus nephritis and the degree of inflammation of kidney tissues. ESR actually detects the presence of specific lupus nephritis antibodies (proteins) that are released by the body in response to fight the lupus nephritis. These attach themselves to red blood cells (RBCs), which become heavy and sediment at a faster pace during a one-hour period when kept to test in a sterile blood vial or tube.
3. Kidney Ultrasound: An ultrasound of the kidney is usually done to rule out the presence of other conditions that present same or similar symptoms as lupus nephritis. The ultrasound will only tell if the kidneys are enlarged.
4. Kidney Biopsy: This test will involve the administration of local anesthesia to extract a tiny amount of kidney tissue to test on. The extracted tissue is subjected to various chemical tests to see chemical reactivity, which is studied under the microscope. A kidney biopsy is usually run to determine which medications will help treat the condition best. It also helps doctors diagnose the stage or progress of lupus nephritis. The WHO has classified lupus nephritis into five classes based on the results of biopsy – namely Class I through Class V; Class I being minimal in acuity with rare chances of kidney failure and Class V being very advanced accompanied by extreme edema and loss of protein. (Source: Step-Up to Medicine (Step-Up Series); Author: Elizabeth D Agabegi; Agabegi, Steven S. (2008). Hagerstwon, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. ISBN 0-7817-7153-6.)
INFORMATION IN THIS ARTICLE IS NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. ALL INFORMATION GIVEN IS TO BE CHECKED WITH YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE IMPLEMENTING OR TAKING THEM AS STANDARD OR VERIFIED.
Reviewed May 25, 2011
Edited by Alison Stanton
Mamta Singh is a published author of the books Migraines for the Informed Woman (Publisher: Rupa & Co. URL: http://www.amazon.com/Migraines-Informed-Woman-Tips-Sufferer/dp/8129115174/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1298990756&sr=1-2), the upcoming Rev Up Your Life! (Publisher: Hay House India) and Mentor Your Mind (Publisher: Sterling Publishers). She is also a seasoned business, creative and academic writer. She is a certified fitness instructor, personal trainer & sports nutritionist through IFA, Florida USA. Mamta is an NCFE-certified Holistic Health Therapist SAC Dip U.K. She is the lead writer and holds Expert Author status in many well-received health, fitness and nutrition sites. She runs her own popular blogs on migraines in women and holistic health. Mamta holds a double Master's Degree in Commerce and Business. She is a registered practitioner with the UN recognised Art of Living Foundation. Please visit www.mamtasingh.com
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Man lupus is something that i have and im only 36 n a single parent n all i can wonder is why me. I had to retire from the post office n sit up n the house which is more depressing.
October 15, 2011 - 10:33pmThis Comment