The importance to practicing nephrologists of lupus nephritis (1–3) is that, although rare, it is
a serious disease whose prognosis can usually be improved dramatically by treatment, but
for which the treatment is potentially toxic, prolonged, complex, and difficult to plan and carry
out. Lupus is defined by its clinical picture, together with antibodies directed against one or
more nuclear components, particularly anti-doublestranded DNA (dsDNA). It is best
regarded as a syndrome, in which a variety of immunologic events may lead to a similar final …