Lupus nephritis is a type of kidney disease caused by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), or lupus, a chronic, autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's tissues, causing inflammation and organ damage. Lupus is characterized by painful or swollen joints, muscle pain, extreme fatigue, unexplained fever, and reddish skin rashes.

The causes of lupus are unknown but are thought to be associated with environmental, genetic, and hormonal factors.

Lupus is much more common in women than in men and most often strikes during the childbearing years. Lupus is also more common in people of African, Asian, and Hispanic backgrounds.

Up to half of adult lupus patients will go on to develop kidney inflammation (lupus nephritis) within the first six months to three years of their diagnosis. Symptoms of lupus nephritis may include foamy urine and edema, and possibly high blood pressure. It is diagnosed through urine and blood tests and a kidney biopsy.

Lupus nephritis may get progressively worse, and if poorly controlled can lead to kidney failure, which may eventually require renal dialysis or a transplant.

Treatments for lupus nephritis include immunosuppressive drugs such as glucocorticoids, cyclophosphamide, mycophenolate, and azathioprine. Belimumab and voclosporin are FDA-approved specifically for lupus nephritis.

Drugs used to treat Lupus Nephritis