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Recent News and Articles on the Keywords: lupus nephritis: + lupus nephritis + lupus  Related to the article below (Last Update: 8/5/2008)

'Multi-target' Immune Therapy Improves Outcomes Of Severe Lupus ... Science Daily (press release) - Jul 6, 2008 "In our study, multi-target therapy is shown to be superior to traditional therapy for inducing complete remission of class V+IV lupus nephritis, ... WELT ONLINE Teva Enrolls Patients for a Second Large Global Phase III Trial of ... WELT ONLINE, Germany - Jul 15, 2008 Teva expects to initiate the clinical development of laquinimod for Crohn?s disease and Lupus Nephritis in the near future. About Teva Teva Pharmaceutical ...TEVA - STO:ACTI Genentech's Q2 2008 earnings transcript BloggingStocks - Jul 14, 2008 Results from the phase 3 Rituxan Lupus Nephritis study called LUNAR are expected in Q1 2009. LUNAR is important because it will evaluate a different patient ...DNA Roche posts very good results: strong market outperformance ... Business-News, Switzerland - Jul 20, 2008 A phase III trial of ocrelizumab in patients with lupus nephritis is continuing as planned. A phase IIb trial in multiple sclerosis started in mid-July. ... Zacks Equity Research Analyst Blog Zacks.com, IL - Jul 10, 2008 Pfizer will get exclusive worldwide rights to all potential indications other than multiple sclerosis and lupus nephritis for which Incyte will retain ...INCY Dacawi: Samaritans in our midst Sun.Star, Philippines - Jul 6, 2008 Manellaine, a high school graduate who wants to become a teacher, is suffering from lupus nephritis, an inflammation of the kidneys caused by a disease of ... Die vielen Gesichter des L. erythematodes ?rzte Zeitung, Germany - Jul 7, 2008 Nieren-Lupus: Bei Glomerulonephritis ist die Biopsie f?r die Prognoseabsch?tzung und Therapieplanung wichtig. Sie sollte vom Grad der Mikroh?maturie und ... Roche/H1: Pharma-Umsatz w?chst "mehr als doppelt so schnell" wie ... Swissinfo, Switzerland - Jul 20, 2008 Daneben sollen 2009 auch erste Ergebnisse f?r MabThera gegen Lupus Nephritis vorliegen. Ein Programm gegen SLE wurde gestoppt und ein weiteres mit ... Analyst Comments: Iron Mountain, Meredith, Pfizer, Dynegy, BOK ... istockAnalyst.com, OR - Jul 10, 2008 Pfizer will get exclusive worldwide rights to all potential indications other than multiple sclerosis and lupus nephritis for which Incyte will retain ...IRM - BOKF - DYN Roche mit sehr gutem Ergebnis: Wachstum deutlich ?ber dem Markt ... Business-News, Switzerland - Jul 20, 2008 Eine Phase-III- Studie mit Ocrelizumab zu Lupus nephritis kommt wie geplant voran. Mitte Juli wurde eine Phase-IIb-Studie zur Therapie von Multipler ...

Lupus Nephritis

Lupus nephritis is an inflammation of the kidney caused by the rheumatic condition systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Lupus affects the skin, joints and brain as well as the kidneys.

An estimated one-third of people with lupus will develop nephritis that requires medical evaluation and treatment. Lupus nephritis is a potentially serious symptom of lupus.

Although the consequences of untreated lupus nephritis are serious, the symptoms are not always dramatic. They can vary from person to person and even from day to day in the same person. Symptoms include:

• Weight gain
• High blood pressure
• Swelling around the eyes, legs, ankles or fingers. This is often the first noticeable symptom. The swelling is usually absent in the morning. It gradually gets worse as a person walks about during the day.
• Dark urine
• Foamy, frothy urine and the need to get up to urinate during the night can suggest a loss of protein in the urine

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In severe cases, kidney failure can occur.

It is not yet known what causes lupus. Some possibilities under investigation are infections and viruses or environmental causes. There are some indications that there may be an inherited factor to lupus. Lupus affects more women than men.

Because symptoms can vary from person to person and even within the same person from day to day, diagnosing lupus nephritis can be challenging. Symptoms may be present at one examination and gone the next. Persons with lupus are common in people with lupus. Additionally some of the medications used to treat lupus can cause symptoms that can be mistaken for those of lupus nephritis.

A doctor will take your medical history, do a thorough examination and evaluate your symptoms. He or she may order the following tests:

• X-rays of the kidneys
• Blood tests. These are done to see if the kidney is effectively removing waste products from the blood. Additionally, if there is a loss of protein in the urine, a blood test can show if there is a lower level of protein in the blood. Blood tests can also show is there are imbalances of salt and water in the blood. Finally, blood tests can show the presence of antibodies that are typically high in persons who have lupus nephritis.
• Urine tests. A urinalysis is the simplest and most common test used to find out if a person has lupus nephritis. A urinalysis will check for the presence of red and white blood cells in the urine or high levels of protein.
• Imaging studies. Two of these types of studies - an intravenous pyelogram and a sonogram - are usually done before a kidney biopsy. In an intravenous pyelogram, dye is injected into the body and collects in the kidneys. An X-ray is taken that shows the outline of the kidneys with the dye. A sonogram uses soundwaves transmitted through the body and their echoes to show the shape and size of the surfaces of the kidney.
• A biopsy of the kidney. This test involves taking a sample of kidney tissue to examine under a microscope. If blood and urine studies suggest lupus nephritis, a biopsy is done to confirm the diagnosis. A biopsy can also help find out how widespread and severe the kidney disease is. A biopsy is most often done by inserting a narrow needle through the skin of the back and removing a small piece of kidney. (Rarely, the procedure may be done in an operating room surgically.)

Treatment depends on the symptoms and must be tailored to the individual.

Medicines can decrease swelling, lower blood pressure, and decrease inflammation by suppressing the immune system. Sometimes drugs to prevent blood clots are also prescribed. High doses of corticosteroids may be prescribed until the lupus nephritis improves. Because corticosteroids can cause a variety of side effects including fluid retention, moodiness, loss of mineral from the bones and cataracts, they must be monitored carefully. The dosage of corticosteroids prescribed for lupus nephritis is usually tapered down once the symptoms improve.

Another type of drug that may be prescribed is cytotoxic drugs or drugs that suppress the immune system. These are typically given to people who have lupus nephritis to prevent kidney damage.

Patients may need to limit protein, sodium and potassium intake in their diet. Maintaining a healthy weight is also important.

Even with treatment, some people with lupus nephritis continue to lose kidney function. In the event that both kidneys fail, it may be necessary to have dialysis. Dialysis involves filtering the blood through a machine so that waste products can be removed from it before the blood is returned to the body. Ultimately, kidney transplantation may be needed. Persons with lupus can successfully have kidney transplantation if the surgery is done at a point in time where they do not have active lupus. After transplantation, they will need drugs to suppress the body's immune system to avoid having the transplanted kidney rejected.

Thanks to major advances in the understand and treatment of lupus nephritis, more than 80% of people with lupus nephritis will live a normal life span.