Assessment of Lupus Nephritis in a Multicenter Retrospective Egyptian Cohort: Initial Characteristics, Influence of Age and Gender, Outcome, and Potential Association with Disease Damage

The study aimed to evaluate the association of demographic, clinical, and histopathologic characteristics with renal and disease outcomes. Persistent lack of partial or complete remission despite sequential induction therapy, chronic kidney disease (CKD) or endstage renal disease (ESRD), and/or mortality were determined as poor renal outcomes. Disease damage was investigated through the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/ American College of Rheumatology Damage Index (SDI). Of 201 biopsy-proven lupus nephritis patients, a poor outcome was present in 56 (27.9%) patients, with nine (4.5%), 22 (10.9%), and 29 (14.4%) patients demonstrating lack of response, CKD, and ESRD, respectively, and the prevalence of mortality was 5.5% (11/201). The outcome was poor among males [29/201 (14.4%)] [P = 0.008; odds ratio (OR): 2.8; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.2-6.4], yet comparable between adult- and juvenile-onset patients [80/201 (39.8%) (≤16 years)] (P = 0.6; OR: 0.8; 95% CI: 0.4-1.6). Hypertension (P