Lupus & Kidney Disease

According to the National Kidney Foundation, one in every nine adults (over 29 million Americans) has kidney disease. Kidney disease can be caused by lupus. Lupus prevents the immune system from protecting parts of the body from viruses, germs and bacteria causing damage to the structures within the kidney (nephrons), which filter the blood. This process is called nephritis or glomerulonephritis. Lupus nephritis can result in the presence of blood or excessive amounts of protein in the urine, a major cause for kidney (renal) disease and kidney failure.

Facts

• According to the Lupus Foundation of America, an estimated one in every three people with lupus will develop nephritis, resulting in medical evaluation and treatment. People of all races and ages get lupus; however, it is around 10 times more common in women over men. Due to major advances in understanding the causes of lupus nephritis, over 80 percent of people with lupus nephritis live normal life spans.

  According to the National Kidney Foundation, approximately 90 percent of people with lupus will have some damage to their kidney, but only two or three percent develop kidney disease serious enough to require treatment. Untreated lupus nephritis can lead to permanent damage and scarring to the kidneys and possibly end stage renal disease.

Symptoms

• In lupus nephritis, most often, the first symptom noticed is fluid retention causing swelling (edema) and weight gain. Blood or a foamy appearance in the urine, and high blood pressure can also be symptoms of lupus nephritis.

  Although symptoms may not be present in early stages of kidney disease, some signs may include dark urine, high blood pressure, flank pain and weight gain from extra fluid. Urine and blood tests can be used to diagnose kidney disease.

Lupus

• Lupus is a serious autoimmune disease and can affect the skin, joints, blood and kidneys. Lupus can damage the glomeruli (nephrons) within the kidney, used to filter the blood, causing inflammation and a build-up of antibodies. Once the filtering system of the kidney is damaged, lupus nephritis occurs in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), causing kidney disease. Reduced kidney function is a common discovery when lupus nephritis is present.

Kidney Disease

• Kidney disease can be a result of damage to the structures used to filter the blood. Once damaged, the kidneys will not properly filter the blood and cause a build-up of waste in the bloodstream, causing harm to the body. Failure to treat kidney disease can result in kidney failure; however, early diagnosis of kidney disease may prevent kidney failure.

Treatment

• Treatments used for kidney disease are hemodialysis, uses a machine to filter your blood and temporarily rid your body of harmful wastes. Peritoneal dialysis is a procedure using the abdominal lining to filter the blood. Another type of treatment used for kidney disease is a kidney transplant.

  Treatment for lupus nephritis must be uniquely individualized for the need of the person. Two major forms of drug therapy can be used: corticosteroids for inflammation control and cytotoxics to suppress the immune system's activity. Although side effects can occur, corticosteroids have been used for managing lupus nephritis for almost forty years. Cytotoxics (immunosuppressive) can be used to treat severe lupus nephritis and prevent further damage to the kidneys.