Efficacy of standard treatment protocol in recently diagnosed Lupus Nephritis at our tertiary care teaching hospital

Introduction: Lupus Nephritis occurred in approximately 50% of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus patients at some point during their illness and is associated with a poor prognosis. Material and Method: A prospective observational study of 50 newly diagnosed LN cases was conducted to investigate the response of standard treatment protocol (Cyclophosphamide -NIH protocol and Mycophenolate Mofetil-MMF). Results: Of the 50 newly diagnosed cases of LN, 94 % (n=47) were females, and 6 % (n=3) were males, with class IV LN accounting for the majority of patients 69.39 % (n=34). At six months, 36.7 % (n=11) of patients in the cyclophosphamide (CYP) group had a complete response. Only 27.3 % of patients in the MMF group had a complete response; however, this difference was not statistically significant. At the end of one year, only 56.7 % of the CYP group and 81.8 % of the MMF group had a complete response; however, this difference was not statistically significant (p=0.282). Although the initial response with CYP was better and later in the MMF group, these differences were not significant statistically. Tuberculosis or its reactivation was the most common complication during treatment, either with MMF or CYP. One patient died due to latent tuberculosis reactivation, another as a result of severe disease activity at presentation (proteinuria was 20 gm/24 hours in that patient), and the third as a result of pneumonia with septicemia. Conclusion: Treatment with either CYP or MMF is equally effective, but underlying infection, particularly tuberculosis, should be ruled out before initiating therapy

Study of Clinical profile of newly diagnosed lupus nephritis in case of systemic lupus erythematosus

Introduction:Lupus Nephritis (LN) affects 25-60% of people with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) within the first 5 years of disease onset. We conducted a prospective observational study to look into the demographic and clinical characteristics of newly diagnosed LN patients. Material and Methods: Our study included 50 newly diagnosed cases of LN. Results:The female-male ratio was 15.67:1. The majority of patients had LN of class IV (69.39 percent ). The most common symptoms were alopecia, oral ulcers, and arthritis. All 50 patients were ANA positive, with 54 percent having anti-ds- DNA positivity. Conclusion:The most common type of LN in our study was IV. Although extrarenal manifestations, primarily mucocutaneous and musculoskeletal, were present, urine examination should be performed more frequently at the time of LN diagnosis for early diagnosis and treatment