Lupus nephritis in Jamaica (1973-1983) - abstract

ABSTRACT

The case records of seventy-five patients who had systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and renal involvement confirmed histologically were reviewed. There were 70 women and 5 men and the majority of patients were in their second and third decades of life. Lupus nephritis was distinctly uncommon in patients below 10 years of age and above 50 years of age. Over 80 percent of the patients developed renal involvement within one year of diagnosis of SLE. The commonest presenting features were arthritis (78 percent) and rash (48 percent). The least common presenting renal features were proteinuria and renal failure - 60 percent and 55 percent respectively. When classified according to the WHO classification, 20 percent had Class II, 12 percent had Class III, 48 percent had Class IV, and 17 percent had Class V disease. Three per cent had glomerular sclerosis and were thus unclassifiable. The acute nephritic syndrome was seen in 83 percent of Class IV cases, while renal failure was seen in 61 percent of Class IV cases. However, no patient had the acute nephritic syndrome in Class V, whereas the nephritic syndrome and renal failure were seen with the same frequency (62 percent) in Class V cases. The mortality was 6 percent for Class II, 22 percent for Class III, 22 percent for Class IV and 38 percent for Class V cases (AU)