Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40126656›Full record

SynthesisPediatric nephrology (Berlin, Germany)2025

Silent lupus nephritis: a pediatric center experience of baseline kidney biopsies and review of the published evidence.

Asa Laestadius, Silviu Grisaru, Marinka Twilt, Thomas Renson, Tiffany Shao, Hallgrimur Benediktsson, Nadia Luca, Heinrike Schmeling, Susanne M Benseler, Lorraine A Hamiwka

Abstract readSystematic ReviewCase Reports
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Pediatric nephrology (Berlin, Germany), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Asa LaestadiusSection of Nephrology, Department of Pediatrics, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
Silviu GrisaruSection of Nephrology, Department of Pediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, Alberta Children'S Hospital, University of Calgary, 28 Oki Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T3B 6A8, Canada.
Marinka TwiltSection of Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, Alberta Children'S Hospital, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Thomas RensonPediatric Rheumatology and Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.
Tiffany ShaoDepartment of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University, St Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Hallgrimur BenediktssonPathology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Nadia LucaDivision of Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Heinrike SchmelingSection of Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, Alberta Children'S Hospital, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Susanne M BenselerSection of Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, Alberta Children'S Hospital, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Lorraine A HamiwkaSection of Nephrology, Department of Pediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, Alberta Children'S Hospital, University of Calgary, 28 Oki Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T3B 6A8, Canada. lorraine.hamiwka@ahs.ca.ORCID 0000-0002-5209-2993

Funding

Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation at the Alberta Children’s Hospital, University of Calgary, Alberta, CanadaSweden-America foundation and Swedish Society of MedicineThe Dawson Jarock Vasculitis
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSilent lupus nephritis (sLN) describes the histopathological presence of nephritis in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) without evident clinical or biochemical kidney manifestations. Kidney biopsy practises in suspected sLN vary widely among centers. We report three cases of sLN from our center and review existing literature on sLN prevalence and the role of baseline kidney biopsies.

methodsCharacteristics of three patients with childhood-onset (cSLE) sLN from our center, including clinical and laboratory features as well as kidney biopsy findings, are reported. A systematic literature review was performed to evaluate the prevalence of proliferative LN among patients with sLN. Relevant studies were identified using a predefined search strategy on Ovid, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL Plus, Scopus, and Web of Science. Publications meeting inclusion criteria and reporting baseline kidney biopsy results with histopathological classification were included.

resultsThree cSLE patients with sLN from our center who underwent baseline kidney biopsies revealing class III LN in two and class II LN in one. The systematic review identified 4153 potential articles, of which 37 studies met inclusion criteria describing 639 patients with sLN; patients were aged 2-70 years. Among them, 30% had proliferative LN (class III, class IV) or class V, while 70% had class I or II LN.

conclusionsSignificant histologic LN findings are observed in 30% of SLE patients without overt kidney disease; frequently associated with high-titer dsDNA, anti-Smith antibodies, and/or hypocomplementemia. Thus, baseline kidney biopsy in newly diagnosed SLE patients, irrespective of clinical and laboratory manifestations, may aid in guiding therapy.

Indexed as

KidneyLupus NephritisBiopsyChildFemaleHumansMaleChildhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosusChildrenKidney biopsySilent lupus nephritisSystemic lupus erythematosus

Identifiers

PMID40126656

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.