Minimal change disease: a variant of lupus nephritis

Some patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) present with nephrotic syndrome due to minimal change disease (MCD). Histopathological diagnosis of patients with SLE and nephrotic-range proteinuria has shown that these patients present with diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis and membranous glomerulonephritis, World Health Organization (WHO) classes IV and V, respectively, more frequently than the other classes. In the present study, we reported a case of nephrotic syndrome and renal biopsy-proven MCD associated with SLE. A complete remission occurred after steroid treatment, which was followed by a relapse 15 months later with a concomitant reactivation of SLE. A second biopsy showed WHO class IIb lupus nephritis. Prednisone treatment was restarted, and the patient went into complete remission again. The association of MCD and SLE may not be a coincidence, and MCD should be considered as an associated SLE nephropathy.