Nephritis is a common complication of systemic lupus erythematosus for which current
therapies often prove inadequate. Current lupus nephritis classification systems emphasize
glomerular acuity and scarring. However, tubulointerstitial inflammation (TII) and scarring
are much better predictors of progression to renal failure. It now is becoming clear that the
immunologic features, and probable underlying mechanisms, are very different in lupus
glomerulonephritis and TII at the time of biopsy. Although glomerulonephritis is a …