Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39682589›Full record

ArticleDiagnostics (Basel, Switzerland)2024

Analysis of the Sensitivity and Specificity of Histopathological Findings for Diagnosing Lupus Nephritis.

Epitácio Rafael da Luz Neto, Maria Brandão Tavares, Ana Gabriela de Jesus Torres de Melo, Washington L C Dos-Santos, Denise Maria Avancini Costa Malheiros, Luís Yu

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Article in Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland), 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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1citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Epitácio Rafael da Luz NetoDivision of Nephrology, Hospital das Clínicas, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo 05403-010, SP, Brazil.
Maria Brandão TavaresDivision of Nephrology, Hospital Universitário Professor Edgar Santos, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador 40110-060, BA, Brazil.
Ana Gabriela de Jesus Torres de MeloDivision of Nephrology, Hospital das Clínicas, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo 05403-010, SP, Brazil.
Washington L C Dos-SantosGonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Salvador 40296-710, BA, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0002-5075-1254
Denise Maria Avancini Costa MalheirosDepartment of Pathology, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo 05403-000, SP, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0002-0409-816X
Luís YuDivision of Nephrology, Hospital das Clínicas, University of São Paulo School of Medicine, São Paulo 05403-010, SP, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0001-9102-0063

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSince the introduction of the SLICC criteria in 2012, biopsy-proven lupus nephritis (LN) has been the only independent diagnostic criterion for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This was reaffirmed by the EULAR/ACR in 2019, emphasizing the importance of renal biopsy in LN. However, the current classification lacks specific histopathological criteria for defining LN. This study describes the histological findings of patients with LN, compares them with those of other glomerular diseases, and evaluates their diagnostic accuracy in a large Latin American population.

methodsThis retrospective cohort included 731 kidney biopsies from two distinct academic centers. The patients were divided into two groups as follows: a LN group and a control group comprising patients with membranous nephropathy, IgA nephropathy, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, pauci-immune glomerulonephritis, and proliferative glomerulonephritis. Sensitivity and specificity analyses were conducted for various histopathological features.

resultsWe identified the following five features strongly correlated with LN: mesangial proliferation, subendothelial deposits, C1q staining ≥1+, dominant IgG, and ≥4 positive immunofluorescence elements. Combined, these features yielded an area under the ROC curve of 0.94 (95% CI: 0.91-0.95). These results were validated in a diverse population. In membranous nephropathy, histological features such as mesangial deposits, C1q positivity, and ≥4 positive immunofluorescence elements effectively distinguished class V LN from non-lupus membranous nephropathy, with an area under the ROC curve of 0.85 (95% CI: 0.76-0.93).

conclusionsThe combination of mesangial proliferation, subendothelial deposits, C1q staining ≥1+, dominant IgG, and ≥4 positive immunofluorescence elements offer good accuracy for diagnosing renal involvement in SLE in a large Latin American population. In the absence of pathognomonic features, combined criteria are valuable diagnostic tools, particularly when other SLE criteria are lacking.

Indexed as

glomerular diseaseshistopathologic featureslupus nephritisrenal biopsysystemic lupus erythematosus

Identifiers

PMID39682589
PMCPMC11640231

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