The Effect of Mycophenolate Mofetil and Cyclophosphamide on the Lymphocyte Subsets in Patients With...
Lupus NephritisThis study investigated the effect of mycophenolate mofetil and cyclosphosphamide on lymphocyte subsets in patients with proliferative lupus nephritis. Patients with biopsy-proven Class III/IV+/-V LN were randomized to received: 1) prednisolone (0.8mg/kg/day) plus CTX (1.5-2mg/kg/d) for 6 months) followed by Azathioprine (AZA) (1-1.5mg/kg/d) maintenance; OR 2) prednisolone (0.8mg/kg/d) plus MMF (1g bd) for 6 months, followed by MMF (tapered according to clinical status) as maintenance. The lymphocyte subsets and serum cytokine profiles will be measured at 4-, 12-, and 24-, 36- and 48 weeks after induction treatment. The lymphocyte subsets and serum cytokine profiles will be compared between the two treatment regimens, and also correlated with subsequent risk of relapse.
The Correlation of Periostin and Renal Pathology in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients
Lupus NephritisIgA NephropathyThe purpose of this study is to determine the location of periostin and urine periostin level in patients with lupus nephritis and IgA nephropathy.
Dynamic Imaging of Variation in Lupus Nephritis
Lupus NephritisTo use a variety of renal imaging modalities, including diffusion weighted imaging (DWI), blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) imaging, T1rho (T1rho) imaging, and dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) to evaluate the intra-renal blood flow, perfusion, cellularity, fibrosis and atrophy within the kidneys of patients with lupus nephritis (LN) and compare these parameters to renal biopsy findings to determine whether DWI, BOLD, T1rho, and DCE-MRI may provide a set of non-invasive tools to assess renal function and pathology in LN.
Monitoring of Biopsy-Proven Interstitial Polyomavirus Nephritis in Kidney and Kidney Pancreas Transplant...
PolyomavirusEvaluate techniques for monitoring the course of interstitial therapy for polyomavirus nephritis in kidney and kidney pancreas transplant recipients by monitoring blood, urine, and renal transplant biopsies of patients affected by polyomavirus.
Functional MRI in Lupus Nephritis
HealthyLupus NephritisThe primary objectives of the study are as follows: To develop and optimize a renal functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol consisting of Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DW-MRI), Blood-Oxygen- Level-Dependent MRI (BOLD-MRI), Arterial Spin Labeling MRI (ASL-MRI), Phase Contrast MRI (PC-MRI), and T1rho-MRI; To compare renal functional MRI cross-sectional readouts between normal healthy volunteers (NHV) and lupus nephritis (LN) participants. The secondary objectives of this study are as follows: Explore whether renal functional MRI techniques discriminate between renal inflammatory activity and damage in lupus nephritis (LN); To examine whether renal functional MRI measurements correlate with laboratory features of renal involvement and renal function in participants with lupus nephritis (LN).
Lupus Nephritis Biomarker Study: Baseline Characteristics of Patients
Lupus NephritisThis is an exploratory study. No formal hypothesis will be tested. The objectives of this study are to follow Lupus Nephritis patients over a period of 12 months to: Establish the baseline biomarker characteristics of patients Determine the variability of biomarker measures over time Correlate biomarkers with disease phenotype
Lupus Nephritis: Role of Environmental and Occupational Exposures
Lupus NephritisThe purpose of this study is to examine hormonal and environmental risk factors (and possible gene-environmental interactions) involved in the etiology of lupus nephritis. Our study will focus on exposures to occupational and environmental agents that have been linked to the development of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or renal disease (e.g., silica dust, smoking). We will also assess potential gene environment interactions. We will examine these exposures in 100 patients with renal biopsy with documented proliferative or membraneous nephritis. We will compare exposures in the lupus nephritis patients to lupus patients who do not have nephritis and to normal controls who have participated in the Carolina Lupus Study. One hundred lupus nephritis patients (age 18 years or older, of both genders and all races) will be identified through the Glomerular Disease Collaborative Network (GDCN) Nephropathology database and participating nephrologists at the Medical University of South Carolina, Duke University Medical Center and the East Carolina Medical School.
Urine Exosomes to Identify Biomarkers for LN
Lupus NephritisUrine exosomes will be extracted from patients with lupus nephritis, healthy controls, and patients with systemic lupus erythematosus without lupus nephritis. Transcriptome and/or metabonomics sequencing of exosomes will be performed to screen for molecules in the urine exosomes of patients with lupus nephritis that are significantly different from those of the other groups.
Proliferative Lupus Nephritis Treatment With Chloroquine and Hydroxychloroquine
Proliferative NephritisChloroquine RetinopathyEvaluation the efficacy of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine in the treatment of proliferative lupus nephritis class III and IV in children and adolescents and evaluate the side effects of both drugs .
Cohort Study on Traditional Chinese Medicine Diagnosis and Treatment of Children With Henoch-Schonlein...
Henoch-Schonlein Purpura NephritisHenoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis(HSPN) is one of the most common secondary glomerulonephritis in children. A large, prospective, multicenter cohort study is being conducted in three institutions. Eligible Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis children will be classified as the experimental group (n=300) and the control group (n=300) based on the interventions they receive. Patients taking Chinese herbal formula will be in the experimental group, and those taking Western medicine will be in the control group. The entire study will last 60 weeks, including a 12-week observation period and a followup at 12 months.