Abstract
Introduction: The chronic autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) causes inflammation in various body organs, including the skin, joints, kidneys, brain, heart, and lungs.
Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between histopathological findings and the demographic and laboratory data of patients with lupus nephritis.
Patients and Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted over a 2-year period starting in 2017 at the Northeast Iran in a referral laboratory located in Mashhad, Iran. Patients with a definitive diagnosis of lupus nephritis were retrospectively selected and classified according to the 2003 ISN/RPS classification system. Demographic and laboratory data were obtained from patients’ documents, para-clinical findings in their files, and through phone interviews.
Results: Seventy-one cases with a definitive pathological diagnosis of lupus nephritis were included. The most common class of lupus nephritis was class IV (diffuse type), followed by class III (focal type) (43.7% and 21.1%, respectively). The incidence of malar rash was reported in 100% of class II, 73.3% of class III, 51.6% of class IV, and 64.3% of class V patients (p=0.05). Additionally, the incidence of hypocomplementemia was reported in 22.2% of class II, 40% of class III, 69% of class IV, and 50% of class V patients (P=0.05). The presence of anti-beta-2 glycoprotein I antibody was reported in 21.4% of cases with class V lupus nephritis too.
Conclusion: The most common classes of lupus nephritis were class IV and class III. Among the demographic, laboratory, and clinical characteristics, lupus nephritis was significantly associated with malar rash and hypocomplementemia.