Treatment outcomes in refractory lupus nephritis: Data from an observational study.

OBJECTIVES: Despite current advances in treatment, refractory lupus nephritis (RLN) continues to pose a challenge. The present paper studies the clinical profile and treatment outcomes in patients with RLN. METHODS: This observational, bidirectional study enrolled consecutive lupus nephritis (LN) patients from August 2018 to January 2019, who either failed to improve within three months, did not achieve partial renal response (PR) at six months, or did not achieve complete renal response (CR) after two years of treatment. Patients were followed every three months; treatment details and outcomes [CR, PR, no renal response (NR)], doubling serum creatinine, and death were recorded. Group comparisons were made using ANOVA and chi-square test. Factors affecting renal response were studied using linear regression. RESULTS: Forty-five of forty-eight enrolled patients completed at least nine months of follow-up and were included in outcome analysis. The median (IQR) SLE duration was three years (2-6 years). The majority of patients (n = 25) had proliferative LN (ISN/RPS class III/IV), with nine patients having pure membranous LN (class V). The mean activity and chronicity indices were 8 and 0. Over a median (IQR) follow-up period of 15 (12-27) months, 28 had CR, 9 had PR, and 8 showed no response to a switch in an immunosuppressive (IS) agent. Repeat renal biopsy (n = 8) with a mean (±SD) biopsy interval of 2 (±1) years showed histological class transformation in more than half of the patients. There was no significant difference in treatment outcome and time to attain response based on individual IS agent or sequence of IS agents used. None of the variables (duration of SLE or nephritis, baseline SLEDAI, leukopenia, hypertension, elevated anti-dsDNA, low complements, serum albumin, 24-hour urinary protein, biopsy class) predicted renal response on univariate analysis. No patient had a doubling of serum creatinine or progression to end-stage renal disease. There were three deaths, all related to infection. CONCLUSION: A change in immunosuppression produces response in most RLN patients while a fifth of them showed no response to therapy. No predictor of renal response was identified. Histologic class switch was frequent. Renal function did not decline over a year of follow-up.

Winslow pathway collaterals: an unusual arterial network in Takayasu arteritis.

Takayasu arteritis which is reported more commonly from Asia and in females can present as middle aortic syndrome with lower limb claudication. We present a case of a young male with Takayasu arteritis with middle aortic syndrome and Winslow pathway collaterals with lower limb ischaemia, hypertension, coronary occlusion and stroke. The extensive collateral formation was visible as a clinical finding over the abdominal wall. The identification of these collateral pathways is essential in understanding the extent of haemodynamically significant disease and it alerts to the possibility of surgical injury during procedures like laparotomy or harvesting of internal thoracic artery for coronary artery bypass graft.