[Symptomatic arterial hypertension in lupus nephropathy]

Sixty six patients with lupus nephropathy with hypertonic syndrome are examined. In patients with latent (inactive) lupus glomerulonephritis hypertonic syndrome developed 3--8 months after the initiation of the corticosteroid treatment, advancing with fluctuations, in some of the patients the arterial pressure being normalized after the discontinuation of that treatment. In patients with chronic active lupus glomerulonephritis without nephrotic syndrome, the hypertension develops before the initiation of the corticosteroid treatment, fluctuating at the beginning, and gradually assumes a stable character 3--5 months after the beginning of such treatment, sometimes with a malignant course and rapid development of renal insufficiency. The hypertonic syndrome advances most severely and malignantly in chronic lupus glomerulonephritis with nephrotic syndrome and is resistant to the active antihypertensive treatment. In 18, out of 25, such patients, the hypertonic syndrome is manifested in parallel with nephropathy before the inclusion of the cortocosteroid treatment. The grave and malignant course of the hypertonic syndrome is associated with the peculiarities of the clinical form and histomorphological type of that lupus nephropathy. In the patients with nephrosclerosis, the hypertonic syndrome is with a gradually progressing evolution, in parallel with the progress of the renal insufficiency.