Repeat renal biopsy findings in 82 lupus nephritis patients: a clinicopathological study.

Summary: Lupus is a disease where the body's immune system attacks its own healthy tissues. When it attacks the kidneys, it is called lupus nephritis. Doctors looked at 82 patients who had their kidneys tested (using a procedure called a biopsy) at least twice. They wanted to see if doing a second test was helpful.

They found that for most patients, the kidney damage actually got worse over time. More patients had scarring and other bad signs on their second test. The study shows that if a patient's kidney health isn't getting better with medicine, doctors should do a second biopsy. This helps doctors see exactly what is happening inside the kidney so they can choose the best treatment.