T cells with T cell receptor (TCR) transgenes that recognized CD1 on syngeneic B cells stimulated B cells to secrete immunoglobulins in vitro. The CD4+, CD8+, or CD4-CD8- T cells from the spleen of the TCR transgenic BALB/c donors induced lupus with anti-double stranded DNA antibodies, proteinuria, and immune complex glomerulonephritis in irradiated BALB/c nude mice reconstituted with nude bone...

This study assessed whether certain clinicopathologic variables could explain the impact of race on outcome in 86 patients who had severe lupus nephritis and were available for long-term follow-up after participating in a prospective, controlled, clinical trial. Fifty-four (63%) patients were white, 21 (24%) were black, and 11 (13%) were categorized as other. The proportion of patients with ant...

Anti-synthetase syndrome is a relatively recently described auto-immune disease characterized by auto-antibodies to enzymes that acetylate transfer RNA (tRNA). Interstitial pulmonary disease and inflammatory myopathy are regular findings. Our patient also exhibited a lupus-like glomerulonephritis. An important clue was the presence of 'mechanics' hands. Nephrologists need to be aware of this sy...

Nearly one half of patients with lupus develop glomerulonephritis (GN), which often leads to renal failure. Although nephritis is diagnosed by the presence of proteinuria, the pathology of nephritis can fall into one of five classes defined by different forms of tissue injury, and the mechanisms involved in pathogenesis are not completely understood. Glycosphingolipids are abundant in the kidne...

Hypocomplementemic urticarial vasculitis (HUV) is the rare immune complex vasculitis, affecting small vessels and associated with anti-C1q antibodies, presenting with urticaria and hypocomplementemia. Glomerulonephritis, arthritis, obstructive pulmonary disease, and ocular inflammation are common in HUV. HUV may present as an idiopathic disease or be a part of systemic autoimmune or autoinflamm...

Background. T helper (Th)1/Th2 balance determines the direction of some kinds of autoimmune diseases. Th1 cytokines, especially interferon (IFN)-g has been proven important in the pathogenesis in lupus. The present study examined the effects of administration of interleukin (IL)-4 (Th2 cytokine) expressing plasmid DNA (IL-4pDNA) on the development of glomerulonephritis and survival in lupus-pro...

OBJECTIVE To compare the efficacy and side effects of intermittent pulse cyclophosphamide plus methylprednisolone with continuous oral cyclophosphamide plus prednisolone, followed by azathioprine, in patients with proliferative glomerulonephritis caused by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS A multicentre randomised controlled trial was conducted between June 1992 and May 1996 involvi...

We present a case of a 36-year-old female from Ghana who presented with atypical chest pain and shortness of breath and was found to have bilateral transudative pleural effusion and trivial pericardial effusion. Further work-up revealed serological markers consistent with active lupus and negative HIV. She developed rapid deterioration of her renal function requiring dialysis. Her renal biopsy ...

Severe maternal thrombocytopenia resulting in hemorrhage is often associated with high mortality. Three cases of severe maternal thrombocytopenia in association with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), HELLP syndrome, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were successfully managed using intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). IVIG can reduce the severity of thrombocytopenia and hemolysis, stabi...

Inbred Palmerston North (PN) mice are a newly recognized model of systemic lupus erythematosus. In this study PN mice with established autoimmune disease were treated until death with cyclophosphamide (8 mg/kg/day) or hydrocortisone (10 mg/kg/day). These doses had previously been found to prevent or suppress disease in another lupus model, the NZB/NZW mouse. In the PN strain, autoantibodies, se...