Lupus Nephritis - Symptoms, causes and treat

Lupus nephritis is inflammation onkidney consequencedisease effect systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or better known as lupus. Lupus is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks kidney cells healthy, so that the kidneys cannot carry out their functions properly.

Lupus nephritis can cause inflammation of the kidneys and cause a number of symptoms, such as high blood pressure, the presence of blood and protein in the urine, to kidney failure. Lupus nephritis is a serious condition that requires immediate treatment from a kidney doctor.

Symptoms of Lupus Nephritis

Symptoms of lupus nephritis are not much different from other kidney disorders. These symptoms include:

  • The appearance of blood in the urine.
  • Foamy urine.
  • Frequent urination, especially at night.
  • High blood pressure.
  • Weight gain.
  • Swelling in the soles of the feet, ankles, and calves.

When hcurrent ke dokter

If symptoms of kidney disease appear, such as blood in the urine, foamy urine, and swelling in the legs, contact your doctor immediately for proper treatment.

The doctor will check the symptoms and determine whether the patient has kidney problems or not. To ensure that the cause of the kidney disorder is lupus, the doctor will perform additional tests on the patient.

Causes of Lupus Nephritis

As previously mentioned, lupus nephritis occurs when the body's immune system or immune system attacks healthy kidney cells, so that the kidneys cannot carry out their functions properly.

Under normal conditions, the immune system will only attack germs that enter the body. However, in people with lupus nephritis, the immune system is abnormal and attacks the body's own cells, including kidney cells.

This disorder of the immune system is known as autoimmunity. Until now, the cause of the occurrence of autoimmune in a person is not known with certainty. However, there are several risk factors that can make a person more prone to autoimmune disease, namely being female and aged between 15-45 years.

A person who has lupus nephritis may experience a recurrence of the symptoms of lupus nephritis (flares) due to exposure to lupus triggers. There are several types of triggers for the recurrence of lupus nephritis symptoms, namely:

  • Sun exposure.
  • Medications, such as antibiotics and anticonvulsants.
  • Hormonal changes, for example during pregnancy or menstruation.
  • Infection, either by bacteria or viruses.

Diagnosis of Lupus Nephritis

As a first step in the examination, the doctor will ask the patient's symptoms and history of previous illnesses, as well as perform a physical examination. If it is suspected that you have lupus nephritis, the doctor will ask the patient to undergo a series of the following tests:

1. Urine examinatione

2. Blood test

This test will help the doctor see the content of waste substances in the blood, such as creatinine and urea in the blood. This test is used to assess kidney function. Under normal conditions, these substances should not appear because it has been filtered by the kidneys. The blood sample will also be checked for a complete blood count and an ANA antibody test.antinuclear antibodies).

3. 24-hour urine examination

4. Abdominal ultrasound

5. Kidney biopsy

Lupus Nephritis Treatment

Treatment of lupus nephritis aims to relieve symptoms that appear, prevent the recurrence of lupus (flares) return, and prevent damage to the kidneys. Type of treatment depends on the type and severity of lupus nephritis suffered.

Treatment for lupus nephritis is carried out in two phases, namely the initial phase and the advanced phase. The initial phase of treatment aims to prevent kidney damage as quickly as possible, as well as suppress the immune system that damages kidney tissue.

Meanwhile, treatment in the continuation phase aims to prevent the recurrence of lupus nephritis. Broadly speaking, lupus nephritis will be treated with the following methods:

Corticosteroid drugs

Corticosteroid drugs are used to reduce inflammation, especially in the kidneys. Examples of corticosteroid drugs used to treat lupus nephritis are: methylprednisone.

Immunosuppressive drugs

Immunosuppressive drugs are used to suppress the work of the immune system, so that damage to kidney tissue due to attacks by the immune system can be reduced. An example of this drug is hydroxychloroquinone, mycophenolate mofetil, and cyclophosphamide.

Drug antihypertensive

  • Drug ACE inhibitor
  • Beta blockers
  • ARB
  • Diuretic drugs

To maintain blood pressure, lupus nephritis patients are required to reduce foods that contain high salt and protein. In addition, to prevent the recurrence of lupus nephritis, lupus nephritis patients are required to stay away from exposure to triggers for lupus recurrence, such as sunburn and antibiotic drugs. But basically, lupus nephritis cannot be cured.

Complications of Lupus Nephritis

The most severe complication of lupus nephritis is kidney failure. Patients with kidney failure must undergo hemodialysis or dialysis to replace the function of the kidneys in filtering impurities in the body, maintaining a balance of mineral levels in the blood, and controlling blood pressure.

Lupus nephritis patients with kidney failure can also undergo kidney transplant surgery. This procedure will only be recommended to patients whose kidneys are no longer functioning. The patient's kidney will be replaced with a healthy kidney obtained from a donor.

Lupus Nephritis Prevention

Adopting a healthy lifestyle can protect yourself from kidney disorders, including lupus nephritis. Some steps that can be taken include:

  • Exercise regularly.
  • Drink lots of water.
  • Do not smoke and consume alcohol.
  • Maintain blood pressure to remain normal.
  • Reduce high cholesterol foods.
  • Reduce foods that contain a lot of salt.
  • Avoiding the use of drugs that can affect the kidneys, one of which is non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).