What is lupus with kidney involvement?

Lupus with kidney involvement is also called lupus nephritis. This occurs when your kidneys get attacked by your own body’s immune system. Up to 60 percent of all people with lupus will develop kidney involvement at some point during their illness. Possible signs that you might have lupus with kidney involvement include:

• Foamy, frothy urine
• Dark urine
• Getting up to urinate at night
• Puffiness or swelling around the eyes and in the feet, ankles, legs, or fingers
• Swelling that gradually worsens as you walk around during the day
• Weight gain
• High blood pressure

Also, you can have kidney involvement without any symptoms. It is likely that you will not know for certain that you have kidney involvement until you have a series of urine or blood tests at the doctor’s office to confirm the diagnosis.

To learn more about the Belong clinical research study, click here.