Lupus nephritis. Clinicopathological correlation.

OBJECTIVES: To classify all renal biopsies of lupus nephritis patients presenting in the last 10 years, according to the modified World Health Organization (WHO) classification using the facilities of light, fluorescent, and electron microscopy. To assess the activity and chronicity indices of renal biopsies according to the National Institute of Health protocol, and to correlate the histological findings with the clinical features of the patients presented up to the time of biopsy.

METHODS: Seventy-eight patients with lupus nephritis, biopsied over 10 years between January 1995 to December 2005 in King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia were reviewed by 2 histopathologists with the assistance of a nephrologist.

RESULTS: The predominant histological type was WHO class IV. Patients of this class were more commonly associated with microhematuria, elevated proteinuria, and renal insufficiency. Active and chronic lesions were more likely to occur in patients of class III/IV. These patients were also more likely to have evidence of clinical renal disease than patients in class II. There was a significant association between nephrotic syndrome and class V lupus nephritis.

CONCLUSIONS: Although the clinical and pathological correlation demonstrated a significant relationship between underlying histopathology and the clinical course of the patient, however, the biopsy findings did not uniformly correlate with the clinical features. Moreover, the status prediction of lupus nephritis patients based on clinical information alone was significantly enhanced by information obtained from renal biopsy.