[Pathological classification and clinical characteristics of lupus nephritis: a report of 49 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relation between the pathological features of lupus nephritis (LN) and the clinical activity and laboratory examination. METHODS: Renal biopsies were obtained from 49 cases of lupus nephritis and classified according to ISN/RPS(2003) classification. The clinical activity, laboratory results and the renal pathological features of the disease were analyzed. RESULTS: All the cases showed pathologies in the kidney. Type IV and V LN cases had a high incidence of nephrotic syndrome, and type II and III cases frequently showed latent nephritis. The NIH index and biopsy index indicated the degree of pathological lesions and were significantly related to the clinical features. Nearly all the indexes including NIH index, biopsy index, the clinical activity and the laboratory examination suggested stronger activity of type IV LN than the other types. CONCLUSION: The pathological changes, clinical activity and laboratory examination results of LN are related with each other. The clinical activity and laboratory examination of LN can be used to estimate the pathological type and degree of renal lesion in LN.