[Immunomorphologic criteria of lupoid nephropathy and their value in diagnosing systemic lupus erythematosus]

Immunohistochemical and electron microscopic examinations of 30 kidney bioptates from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus revealed characteristic immunomorphological features of lupoid nephropathy: glomerular immune complexes with the predominance of IgG in combination with other immunoglobulins and fibrin; subendothelial, subepithelial and mesangial depositions in d;fferent combinations found in glomerules; virus-like inclusions in the endothelium of glomerular capillaries. With these signs, the diagnosis of the lupoid nature of nephritis may be established even in those cases where the typical signs of lupus erythematosus are absent or insignificant.