The histological classification of lupus nephritis is provided in the following table since it has recently been updated. Lupus Nephritis is inflammation of the kidney which is caused by Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). It may be the most life threatening complications of patients with SLE.
The diagnosis of Lupus Nephritis may require urine test (blood or protein for a sign of kidney damage), blood test (creatinine, urea, glomerular filtration rate), and kidney biopsi (sample of kidney’s tissue to determine the progress of the disease). Regular urinalysis and blood pressure monitoring is a crucial step to determine a renal involvement.
This revised classification criteria of Lupus Nephritis is developed by the International Society of Nephrology and the Renal Pathology Society.
| Class I | Minimal Mesangial Lupus Nephritis light microscopy: normal; immunoflurescence: mesangial immune deposits |
| Class II | Mesangial Proliferative Lupus Nephritis mesangial hypercellularity/matrix expansion, immunofluorescence: mesangial immune deposits |
| Class III | Focal Lupus Nephritis glomerulonephritis involving <50% of glomeruli typically with subendothelial immune deposits |
| Class IV | Diffuse Lupus Nephritis glomerulonephritis involving >50% of glomeruli typically with subendothelial immune deposits (segmental/global) |
| Class V | Membranous Lupus Nephritis Global or segmental subepithelial immune deposits |
| Class VI | Advanced Sclerotic Lupus Nephritis >90% of glomeruli globally sclerosed without residual activity |
