Treatment of Lupus Nephritis

Renal involvement is the cause of major mortality and morbidity of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) disease. Although regimes including pulse cyclophosphamide and corticosteroid are the most effective treatment modalities, they are not ideal for toxicity. The increase in neoplasm risk, infections and gonadal toxicity are the major concerns about cyclophosphamide. While choosing the treatment of severe lupus nephritis, risk benefit ratio should be thought individually. Clinical status, activity degree, chronicity in renal histology, tolerability of the patient, presence of infection, cytopenia, extrarenal involvement should be evaluated in detail. The treatment of lupus nephritis was discussed with this review.