[Treatment of lupus nephritis: an update]

Renal involvement contributes significantly to the severity of systemic lupus erythematosus and influences patient survival. Although in recent years, thanks to the use of immunosuppressive agents and steroids, the prognosis has greatly improved, it is still associated with multiple side effects and possible relapses. Therefore, recent studies have evaluated the possibility of using protocols that may be equally effective both in the short and long term but are potentially less toxic in both the proliferative and membranous forms of lupus. Moreover, further knowledge of the complex pathogenesis of lupus has accelerated research into and use of new biological immunomodulators. In this review we present the most recent therapeutic trials and the new, promising therapies based on biological immunomodulators.