Elevated urinary prostaglandins and the effects of aspirin on renal function in lupus erythematosus

We studied the urinary excretion of immunoreactive prostaglandin E-like material (iPGE) and renal function in seven women with systemic lupus erythematosus to evaluate the relation between urinary iPGE and the increase in serum creatinine in patients taking aspirin. The mean pretreatment excretion of urinary iPGE in patients with lupus erythematosus, 42.7 +/- 6.4 ng/h, was significantly higher than the value of 29.0 +/- 1.9 ng/h for normal subjects (P less than 0.02). With aspirin, the urinary iPGE decreased an average of 45% (P less than 0.001). Increases in serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen confirmed our previous clinical observations. The concomitant mean fall in creatinine clearance of 18% (P less than 0.001) was accompanied by a 14% decrease in inulin clearance (P less than 0.005); p-aminohippurate clearance fell 29% (P less than 0.005). The decline in urinary iPGE preceded the fall in creatinine clearance but was significantly correlated with it (r = 0.78; P less than 0.001). The observed changes reversed rapidly when aspirin was stopped. These data show that, in these patients with high urinary iPGE excretion, aspirin causes significant changes in renal function that may be mediated by the inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis.