Lupus nephritis arises when systemic lupus erythematosus, which is an autoimmune disease, affects the kidneys, causing inflammation and damage to the small vessels responsible for filtering toxins from the body. Thus, the kidney is unable to function normally and symptoms such as blood in the urine, high blood pressure or constant joint pain, for example.
This disease affects more than half of lupus patients and is more common in women in the third decade of life, although it can also affect men and people and other ages, being one of the main causes of lupus death.
Although it is a serious complication of lupus, nephritis can be managed with the proper treatment and, therefore, it is very important that people suffering from lupus make regular consultations and tests to assess the presence of complications. When not treated properly, lupus nephritis can cause kidney failure.
Know the symptoms of lupus erythematosus and how the treatment is done.
Main symptoms
The symptoms of lupus nephritis can vary greatly from person to person, however, the most common are:
- Blood in the urine; Foamy urine; Excessive swelling of the legs, feet, face or hands; Constant pain in the joints and muscles; Increased blood pressure; Fever without apparent cause;
When you have lupus and one or more of these symptoms appear, it is very important to consult the doctor who is treating the disease, so that he can do tests such as urine test or blood test and confirm the presence, or not, of nephritis, starting treatment.
In some cases, it may even be necessary to have a kidney biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. For this, the doctor applies anesthesia to the site and, using a needle, removes a piece of tissue from the kidney, which is then analyzed in the laboratory. Renal biopsy should be performed in all patients with lupus, as well as in those who have changes in test results, such as increased creatinine, decreased glomerular filtration and the presence of proteins and blood in the urine.
Renal ultrasound consists of a first-line image study in the evaluation of the patient with manifestations of a kidney disease, since it allows to identify changes such as obstructions and also allows to evaluate the anatomy of the organ.
How the treatment is done
The treatment of lupus nephritis usually starts with the use of medicines, prescribed by the doctor, to decrease the immune system's response and decrease the inflammation in the kidneys. Some of these medications are corticosteroids, such as prednisone and immunosuppressants. Combining treatment is more effective than corticosteroids.
In addition, depending on the symptoms, it may still be necessary to use diuretics to lower blood pressure and to eliminate excess toxins and fluids from the body.
In some cases it may also be recommended to consult a nutritionist to change the diet in order to facilitate the work of the kidney and slow the progress of lupus. Here are some tips from our nutritionist:
In the most severe cases, in which lupus caused many injuries to the kidney, kidney failure may begin to appear and, therefore, treatment may involve the use of hemodialysis or even kidney transplantation.
Check out more about what food should be like for those with kidney problems.
Classification and types of lupus nephritis
Lupus nephritis can be divided into 6 classes. In Class I and II there are very slight changes in the kidney, which may neither cause symptoms nor cause slight signs, such as bloody urine or the presence of proteins in the urine test.
From Class III onwards, the lesions affect an increasingly larger area of the glomeruli, becoming more and more severe, leading to decreased kidney function. The class of lupus nephritis is always identified after doing the diagnostic tests, to help the doctor decide what is the best form of treatment, for each case. In addition, the doctor should also consider the person's age and general medical condition.
