Lupus Nephritis

Lupus Nephritis is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks its own cells, leading to inflammation of the kidneys. This condition occurs as a complication of an autoimmune disease called systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and can significantly affect patients’ quality of life. Symptoms of lupus nephritis include high blood pressure, blood and protein in the urine, edema, and decreased kidney function. In this article, we will examine what Lupus Nephritis is, what causes it, and how it is diagnosed and treated.

What Is Lupus Nephritis?

Lupus nephritis is a condition seen in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and is characterized by inflammation of the structures of the kidneys called nephrons. Nephrons are the basic functional unit of the kidneys and filter the blood to form urine. In lupus nephritis, the immune system mistakenly attacks kidney cells, leading to inflammation and ultimately kidney damage. This occurs in about 60% of SLE patients and can lead to severe kidney failure.

What Causes Lupus Nephritis?

The exact cause of lupus nephritis is unknown, but it is linked to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), an autoimmune disease. In SLE, the immune system recognizes its own cells and tissues, which are normally harmless, as foreign substances and attacks them. In this case, the immune system attacks the kidney cells, causing inflammation and damage.

Certain factors can increase the risk of developing Lupus Nephritis. These include genetic predisposition, hormonal factors, environmental factors, and certain medications. In addition, some viruses and bacterial infections are also thought to be triggers that can cause the immune system to malfunction and lead to Lupus Nephritis.

Lupus Nephritis is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks its own cells, leading to inflammation of the kidneys. This condition, seen in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), can lead to kidney failure and a significant reduction in quality of life. Although the causes of Lupus Nephritis are not fully known, there are risk factors such as genetic, hormonal, environmental factors and infections.

What Are The Symptoms of Lupus Nephritis?

Of course, Lupus Nephritis also manifests itself with some symptoms like every disease. Symptoms of this disease may be as follows;

• Blood in the urine (haematuria),
• Protein in the urine (proteinuria).
• High blood pressure (hypertension),
• Swelling of the feet and legs (edema),
• Fatigue and weakness,
• Fever,
• Weight loss
• Skin rashes,
• Joint pain and swelling,
• Anaemia

The symptoms of lupus nephritis may vary from person to person and may be of different severity in each patient. If you experience one or more of these symptoms, it is important to consult a specialist and undergo the necessary investigations. Early diagnosis and treatment can help prevent kidney failure by slowing the progression of lupus nephritis.

What Are The Types of Lupus Nephritis?

Lupus nephritis is the effect of an autoimmune disease called systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) on the kidneys. SLE is a complex condition in which the immune system attacks its own cells, causing inflammation and damage. Lupus nephritis causes inflammation and damage to the filtering units of the kidneys (glomeruli). This makes it difficult for the kidneys to filter waste materials and excess fluid from the blood. There are six main types of lupus nephritis. These are categorized on the basis of the amount and location of damage to the kidney tissue.

Class I (Minimal Mesangial Lupus Nephritis); This type of lupus nephritis is the mildest form and usually shows no symptoms. There is a slight increase in mesangial cells in the kidneys, but there is no impairment in renal function.

Class II (Mesangial Proliferative Lupus Nephritis); In this type of lupus nephritis, there is a more pronounced increase and inflammation of the mesangial cells in the kidneys. Despite this, renal function is usually normal and patients do not show any symptoms except for the presence of mild protein and/or blood in the urine.

Class III (Focal Proliferative Lupus Nephritis); In this type of lupus nephritis, only some of the glomeruli in the kidneys are affected and the inflammation is more severe. Patients may show symptoms such as increased amounts of protein and blood in the urine, high blood pressure and decreased kidney function.

Class IV (Diffuse Proliferative Lupus Nephritis); This type of lupus nephritis is the most severe form and most of the glomeruli in the kidneys are affected. Patients may experience symptoms such as high amounts of protein and blood in the urine, high blood pressure, severe reduction in kidney function and sometimes kidney failure. Class IV lupus nephritis can lead to permanent kidney damage if not treated quickly.

Class V (Membranous Lupus Nephritis); In this type of lupus nephritis, thickening and inflammation of the thin membranes (basement membranes) of the glomeruli in the kidneys are seen. Patients may show symptoms such as significant amounts of protein in the urine, high blood pressure and sometimes decreased kidney function.

Class VI (Advanced Sclerosing Lupus Nephritis); This type of lupus nephritis is the most advanced stage in which most of the glomeruli in the kidneys are sclerosed (hardened) and damaged. Patients may experience serious symptoms such as kidney failure and the need for dialysis.

The different types of lupus nephritis are usually diagnosed by kidney biopsy and laboratory tests. The treatment of each type of lupus nephritis depends on the severity of the disease and the general health of the patient. Treatment usually starts with medication that reduces inflammation and suppresses the immune system. In advanced stages, more aggressive treatment methods may be required to deal with complications such as kidney failure and dialysis.

What Are The Stages of Lupus Nephritis?

Lupus nephritis is usually divided into five stages. Each stage indicates the severity of the disease and the degree of kidney damage. Below are the stages of lupus nephritis;

Stage 1: Minimal Mesangial Lupus Nephritis

This stage is the mildest form of the disease and usually shows no symptoms. Only microscopic damage to the kidneys occurs and no abnormalities in kidney function are detected. Stage 1 lupus nephritis is usually found by chance and does not require special treatment.

Stage 2: Mesangial proliferative lupus nephritis

In this stage, there is an increase in mesangial cells in the kidneys, but there is still no significant impairment of kidney function. Patients with stage 2 lupus nephritis may experience mild symptoms such as mild protein excretion and the presence of blood cells in the urine. The recommended treatment for this stage is medication and lifestyle changes to prevent disease progression.

Stage 3: Focal Lupus Nephritis

In stage 3 lupus nephritis, some of the kidneys are damaged and the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) decreases. At this stage, patients may experience symptoms such as increased protein excretion in the urine, high blood pressure, and edema. Treatment for stage 3 lupus nephritis may include corticosteroids, immunosuppressive drugs, and drugs to control blood pressure.

Stage 4: Diffuse Proliferative Lupus Nephritis

This stage is the most severe form of lupus nephritis and causes inflammation and damage to most of the kidneys. Patients with stage 4 lupus nephritis may experience severe symptoms such as blood and protein excretion in the urine, high blood pressure, edema, kidney failure and rapidly progressing glomerulonephritis. Treatment for this stage may include aggressive treatment methods such as high-dose corticosteroids, immunosuppressive drugs, plasmapheresis and kidney transplantation.

Stage 5: Membranous Lupus Nephritis

Stage 5 lupus nephritis is characterized by the thickening of the glomerular basement membrane in the kidneys. At this stage, patients may experience symptoms such as nephrotic syndrome, high blood pressure and kidney failure. Treatment for stage 5 lupus nephritis may include corticosteroids, immunosuppressive drugs, drugs to control blood pressure and kidney transplantation.

Early diagnosis of lupus nephritis and appropriate treatment can help prevent the progression of kidney damage and improve patients’ quality of life. If lupus nephritis is suspected, it is important to consult a nephrologist.

Does Lupus Nephritis Damage the Kidneys?

Lupus nephritis is one of the most common and serious complications of SLE and can lead to significant damage to the kidneys.

Lupus nephritis is characterized by inflammation of the glomeruli, the filtering units of the kidneys. This inflammation causes the kidneys to have difficulty filtering the blood and problems in removing waste materials from the body. In the long term, lupus nephritis can lead to a permanent decrease in kidney function and kidney failure.

The severity and speed of damage to the kidneys caused by lupus nephritis varies from patient to patient. While some patients experience mild symptoms, others may experience more rapidly progressive and severe kidney damage. This emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis and treatment.

Early diagnosis of lupus nephritis and appropriate treatment are critical in preventing or minimizing kidney damage. Treatment varies depending on the severity of the disease and the general health status of the patient.

How Is Lupus Nephritis Kidney Involvement Treated?

Medications used in the treatment of lupus nephritis aim to reduce inflammation and prevent kidney damage by suppressing the immune system. The main drugs used in drug treatment are;

• Corticosteroids; Corticosteroids such as prednisone quickly reduce inflammation, relieve symptoms and prevent kidney damage.
• Immunosuppressants; Immunosuppressant drugs such as azathioprine, cyclophosphamide and mycophenolate mofetil reduce kidney damage caused by lupus nephritis by suppressing the immune system.
• Hydroxychloroquine; This antimalarial drug relieves the symptoms of lupus and slows the progression of kidney involvement.
• ACE inhibitors and ARBs; These drugs protect kidney function by reducing pressure on the kidneys and reducing protein loss.

In the treatment of lupus nephritis, it is important to follow a diet that puts less strain on the kidneys and protects kidney function. A kidney-friendly diet should have a low protein, low sodium and low phosphate content. It is also important to pay attention to potassium and calcium intake. The renal diet should be organized by a dietitian according to the patient’s nutritional needs and kidney function.

For patients whose kidney function is severely impaired due to lupus nephritis, dialysis treatment can be applied. Dialysis helps to remove excess fluid and waste materials from the body by performing the cleaning and filtering functions of the kidneys. Dialysis is of two types: hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.

In advanced cases of lupus nephritis and when other treatment methods have failed, kidney transplantation may be considered. Kidney transplantation is a surgical procedure in which a healthy kidney is transplanted to replace the patient’s own kidney. Kidney transplantation can significantly improve the quality of life for patients experiencing kidney failure due to lupus nephritis.

Treatment of lupus nephritis kidney involvement varies depending on the severity of the disease and the general health status of the patient. With options such as drug therapy, dietary adjustments, dialysis and kidney transplantation, patients’ quality of life can be improved and kidney damage can be prevented. During the treatment process, it is important for patients to be in regular contact with their doctors and to comply with the treatment plan.

Lupus Nephritis Treatment Prices in Turkey

Turkey has managed to announce its name to the world with its investments and studies in the field of health. Especially the latest technological devices used in diagnosis and treatment procedures have been a beacon of hope for many diseases. However, there has been an increase in health tourism in Türkiye.

• Hospitals are large, clean, spacious and fully equipped in terms of technological equipment.
• Turkish doctors are specialized, successful, and skilled in their fields.
• Nurses and carers are friendly and compassionate.
• Finding answers to the questions asked quickly and accurately.
• Patience and understanding of all staff, including the intermediary company dealing with the patient.
• Turkey offers holiday opportunities with its natural and historical beauties.
• Easy transportation.
• Diagnosis, treatment, accommodation, eating, drinking, dressing, and holiday needs can be met at affordable prices.

Such situations are shown among the reasons for preference. We can see that patients and relatives of patients who want to come to Turkey are doing research on Lupus Nephritis Treatment Prices in Turkey. However, it would not be right to give clear price information at this stage. Many factors such as the type of disease, stage, diagnosis process, treatment process, and stay in Türkiye affect the price issue. If you want to get more detailed price information, you can contact us. In addition, if you come to Turkey for treatment through us, we can facilitate your visa application process with the invitation letter sent by us to the consulate.