The presence of tubulointerstitial damage (TID) on renal biopsy is considered to be a late sequela of lupus nephritis (LN). The objective of this study was to determine if TID predicts progression to end stage renal disease (ESRD) in LN patients without advanced kidney disease.
All SLE patients with an index biopsy consistent with LN between January 2005 and July 2015, and eGFR ≥ 30mL/min/1.73m
Of the 131 LN patients with eGFR ≥ 30mL/min/1.73m
Moderate-to-severe TID, but not TII, was a strong predictor of ESRD progression independent of eGFR or glomerular findings, therefore, providing an important window for potential early interventions.