Relato de Caso

Focal Segmental in Systemic Erythematosus: One or Two Glomerular Diseases? Glomerulosclerose Segmentar e Focal em Lúpus Eritematoso Sistêmico: Uma ou Duas Doenças?

Rogério Barbosa de Deus1, Luis Antonio Moura1, Marcello Fabiano Franco2, Gianna Mastroianni Kirsztajn1

1 Division and 2 Department of Pathology - Universidade Federal de São Paulo – EPM/UNIFESP- São Paulo.

ABSTRACT

Some patients with clinical and/or laboratory diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) present with which from the morphological point of view does not fit in one of the 6 classes described in the WHO classification of . On the other hand, nonlupus nephritis in patients with confirmed SLE is rarely reported. This condition may not be so uncommon as it seems. The associated glomerular lesions most frequently described are amyloidosis and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). We report on a 46 year-old, caucasian woman, who fulfilled the American College of Rheumatology criteria for SLE diagnosis: arthritis, positive anti-DNA, ANA, anti-Sm antibodies, and cutaneous maculae. During the follow-up, she presented arthralgias, alopecia, vasculitis, lower extremities edema and decreased serum levels of C3 and C4. was initially nephrotic, but reached negative levels. The serum creatinine varied from 0.7 to 3.0 mg/dl. The patient was submitted to the first renal biopsy at admission and to the second one, 3 years later, with diagnosis of minimal change disease and FSGS, respectively. No deposits were demonstrated by immunofluorescence. In the present case, we believe that the patient had SLE and developed an idiopathic disease of the minimal change disease-FSGS spectrum. (J Bras Nefrol 2006; 28(3):171-175)

RESUMO

Alguns pacientes com diagnóstico clínico e/ou laboratorial de lúpus eritematoso sistêmico (LES) apresentam nefrite que, do ponto de vista morfológico, não se enquadra em qualquer das 6 classes de nefrite lúpica descritas na classificação da OMS. Por outro lado, nefrites não–lúpicas em pacientes com LES confirmado são raramente relatadas. Essa condição pode não ser tão incomum como parece. As lesões glomerulares associadas mais freqüentemente descritas são amiloidose e glomerulosclerose segmentar e focal (GESF). Nós relatamos o caso de uma mulher de 46 anos, branca, que preenchia critérios da Associação Americana de Reumatologia para diagnóstico de LES: artrite, FAN, anti-DNA e anti-Sm positivos, presença de máculas cutâneas. Durante o seguimento, ela apresentou artralgias, alopécia, vasculite, edema de membros inferires e níveis baixos de C3 e C4 séricos. A proteinúria que inicialmente era nefrótica chegou a negativar. A creatinina sérica variou de 0,7 a 3,0 mg/dl. A paciente foi submetida à sua primeira biópsia renal quando da chegada ao serviço e à segunda, 3 anos mais tarde, com diagnósticos de doença de lesões mínimas e GESF, respectivamente; a imunofluorescência revelou-se negativa. No presente caso, acreditamos que a paciente tinha LES e desenvolveu uma doença idiopática do espectro doença de lesões mínimas-GESF. (J Bras Nefrol 2006; 28(3):171-175)

INTRODUCTION Although lupus nephritis can selectively involve any renal compartment, is the most Renal involvement is frequent in systemic lupus frequent manifestation2 and lupus glomerulonephritis erythematosus (SLE) and lupus nephritis is present in (GN) is divided into 6 distinct morphologic classes almost all cases of SLE, as documented by biopsies1. according to the World Health Organization (WHO)

Recebido em 02/12/05 / Aprovado em 24/01/06

Endereço para correspondência:

Gianna Mastroianni Kirsztajn, MD, Ph.D. Nephrology Division - Universidade Federal de São Paulo Rua Botucatu, 740 04023-900, São Paulo - SP E-mail: [email protected] 172 FSGS in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

classification: I-normal, II-mesangial proliferative, III- At the beginning the patient was treated with oral focal proliferative, IV-diffuse proliferative, V-mem- prednisone and presented serum creatinine normalization branous and VI-advanced sclerosing GN3. and the proteinuria within a year went down to 1.3 g/24 h. Beyond these lesions, renal biopsies from patients As she was followed in our Service during 20 with SLE may show changes that are pathogenetically years, it is not possible to describe in details the entire and morphologically unrelated to SLE4, whose occurren- course of her disease, so only the most important points ce is only identifiable by renal biopsy. Few of these cases are shown below. have been described, including several distinct renal lesions After 3 years, she presented alopecia, cutaneous with predominance of amyloidosis and focal segmental maculae and arthritis, positive ANA (titer superior to glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). The diagnosis of other 1:640). She was maintained with low dosage of nephritis in SLE patients is important as they may have corticosteroid (CS), her renal function was normal and different prognosis and treatment. The morphology, beha- proteinuria increased again, up to nephrotic range levels. vior and best therapeutic approach in cases of nonlupus A second renal biopsy (figures 2a and 2b) was then nephritis in patients with SLE are not well known. performed and was compatible with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). The patient was kept on CS in low doses and the 24-hour proteinuria decreased to 0.8 g CASE REPORT about 1 year later. After another year, as proteinuria reached again We report on the case of a 46 year-old, non Cau- nephrotic levels, ACE inhibitor was added to the schema casian woman, who fulfilled the following criteria of the of treatment and proteinuria decreased to 0.46 g. American College of Rheumatology for SLE diagnosis: In the eighth year of evolution, the 24-hour pro- arthritis, cutaneous maculae, positive antinuclear anti- teinuria reached 4.58 g and she received oral prednisone bodies (ANA), positive anti- native DNA and anti-Sm. 1 mg/kg/day. Proteinuria increased and decreased inde- At admission, she reported a month history of pendent of the CS dose. During this year and the previous edema of the lower extremities that progressed to ana- one, she presented poliarthralgias; serum cholesterol and sarca, decrease of urinary volume, headache and dyspnea. tryglicerides levels were elevated (and the highest levels Systemic , nephrotic proteinuria and acute were 312 mg/dl and 624 mg/dl, respectively). renal insufficiency were observed. At the initial physical During the ninth year of evolution, due to a 24- examination, it was observed generalized edema, inclu- hour proteinuria of 6.22 g after a partial remission with ding ascitis, without other abnormalities, but high blood the use of oral prednisone 1mg/kg/day (levels of 4.58g pressure. The first laboratory tests revealed: serum crea- that fell to 0.73 g/24 h), it was administered oral azathio- tinine 3.5 mg/dl, urea 175 mg/dl, sodium 145 mEq/l, prine 2 mg/kg/day, that was rapidly discontinued as the potassium 4.6 mEq/l, hemoglobin 14.6 g/l, ESR 61, WBC patient presented symptomatic drug-induced , 7600/mm3, positive ANA 1:100. Afterwards, she was confirmed by high levels of SGOT, SGPT, bilirrubins, submitted to a first renal biopsy (figures 1a and 1b), that with recovery after withdrawn of the drug. did not reveal glomerular or tubular lesions by light From the tenth to the fourteenth year of follow-up, microscopy and the immunofluorescence was negative it was observed frequent variation of the 24-hour pro- for C1q, C3, IgG, IgM and IgA. teinuria levels (minimum: 0.32 g; maximum: 7.59 g) and

Figura 1a. with Figura 1b. Detail of the glome - Figura 2b. Segmental glome- Figura 2b. Cortical renal paren- normal structure surrounded by rulus with unaffected archi- rular lesion with sclerosis and chyma with collapsed and scle- preserved cortical parenchyma. tecture and mild podocyte capsular synechia (Masson rotic glomerulus, interstitial fibro- (HE 40x). swelling.(HE 400x). 200x). sis and tubular atrophy (PAS 40x). J Bras Nefrol Volume XXVIII - nº 3 - Setembro de 2006 173

during these years she received variable doses of CS and merulonephritis, glomerulocystic disease, necro- ACE inhibitor. At the end of this period, it was diagnosed tizing glomerulitis, sarcoidal tubulointerstitial nephritis cataracts. and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-induced tubu- At the beginning of the fifteenth year of evolution, lointerstitial nephritis2,4. it was detected elevation of serum creatinine from 0.8 to Baranowska-Daca et al.4, in 2001, reviewed 252 2.0 mg/dl. At this moment, pulse therapy with methyl- renal biopsies performed on 224 patients with SLE and prednisolone was administered and, after three courses, identified 13 additional nonlupus nephritis. They were serum creatinine returned to 0.8 mg/dl, although protei- divided in 3 clinically distinct groups, i.e., patients in nuria was still elevated. She was submitted to nine whom SLE was diagnosed at the time of the renal biopsy courses of pulse therapy during which oral prednisone 30 who showed: FSGS (3 cases), IgM nephropathy (2 cases) mg/day was maintained. The dose of ACE inhibitor was and thin membrane disease (1 case); patients in whom increased with the aim of normalizing blood pressure SLE was diagnosed 2 to 9 years prior to the renal biopsies levels. that revealed FSGS (2 cases) and hypertensive nephros- During the follow-up, the titers of antinuclear anti- clerosis (1 case); patients in whom SLE was diagnosed 5 bodies varied from 1:160 to 1:12800 and sometimes anti- to 36 years prior the renal biopsy that showed: amyloi- DNA was positive, as well as low levels of C3 and C4 dosis (1 case), FSGS (1 case), hypertensive nephrosclerosis were detected. Except for the leukopenia observed for a (1 case) and acute tubulointerstitial nephritis (1 case). short time during the first year of follow-up, blood cell In 2002, 11 additional SLE patients with non- counts were always normal. lupus nephritis from 6 Nephrology Centers were reported At the beginning of the eighteenth year, she still by Hertig et al.5. The patients fulfilled the criteria for SLE presented normal levels of serum creatinine and serum and had with the diagnosis of MCD albumin and no , proteinuria was of 2.31 g/24 h, (4 cases) and FSGS (7 cases). These authors believe that serum cholesterol 212 mg/dl and tryglicerides 198 mg/dl, in most patients with SLE, lupus has a precipitating role using oral prednisone 5 mg/day, captopril 100 mg/day in the appearance of an idiopathic nephrotic syndrome. and sinvastatin 20 mg/day. Based on their own study, Baranowska et al.4 Her proteinuria became negative without loss of consider that nonlupus nephritis, identified in 5% of their renal function (serum creatinine 0.9 mg/dl) about 2 years SLE patients, is not exceptional. They suggest that renal later and, since then, immunosuppressive drugs were diseases other than lupus nephritis should be clinically withdrawn. During the twentieth year of follow-up, these suspected in patients with serologic and clinical remission parameters have not changed expressively, there was no of lupus activity who nevertheless present with severe relapse and the last serum creatinine was 1.1 mg/dl. renal abnormalities, including heavy proteinuria, mar- kedly decreased renal function and acute renal failure, manifestations observed in 4 of their 13 patients. DISCUSSION Although amyloidosis was identified in only 1 patient of this study, it was the most frequent type of nonlupus renal It is generally assumed that in patients with well- involvement in SLE patients considering all the already documented SLE, renal abnormalities are caused by lupus reported cases5-14. nephritis. Thus, renal biopsy in SLE is usually reco- Our patient had initially the histological diagnosis mmended not for diagnostic purposes, but rather to of MCD and the second biopsy revealed features of determine the type and extent of renal involvement2, as FSGS. These entities are reported to be related glomerular well as to evaluate the activity and chronicity indices. lesions, within a spectrum of a less severe to a more Interestingly, in rare occasions, clinically significant renal severe form of glomerular epithelial cell damage. In our diseases unrelated to lupus nephritis have been described case, the first biopsy revealed no glomerular or tubular in patients with SLE. There are only few reports of this lesions by light and immunofluorescence microscopy. association mostly as isolated cases. The patient did not respond to immunosuppressive Among approximately 36 reported cases of treatment and neither the presentation nor the behavior of nonlupus nephritis in patients with SLE, renal amyloi- the renal abnormalities after treatment were those expec- dosis was diagnosed in more than half (approximately 20 ted for class I lupus nephritis. After the second biopsy, cases) and it is the most frequent type of nonlupus renal although treated for FSGS, the patient never experienced involvement in SLE patients. The other lesions described a full remission during the course of the disease. in decreasing order of frequency were FSGS, minimal Our patient presented at least four American change disease, IgA nephropathy, infection-related glo- College of Rheumatology criteria for diagnosis of SLE 174 FSGS in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

(arthritis, cutaneous maculae, positive ANA, positive prognostic and therapeutic implications distinct from anti-native DNA and anti-Sm,) and other clinical findings those of lupus nephritis4. consistent with this diagnosis (hypocomplementemia, Finally, nonlupus nephritis may occasionally be arthralgia, alopecia, vasculitis and leukopenia). encountered in SLE patients regardless of clinical or When the diagnosis of a nonlupus nephritis was serologic disease activity. These renal lesions display a raised, she was treated with azathioprine, in addition to broad morphologic spectrum in which focal segmental corticosteroids for MCD-FSGS, with partial remission glomerulosclerosis4 and amyloidosis6-12 are most fre- and recurrences. quently seen. Renal biopsy is an essential tool in the An important differential diagnosis that must be identification of these lesions4,20. considered in such situation is between FSGS and class III lupus nephritis. 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