Abstract
Lupus nephritis (LN) is one of the most severe organ manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Treatment of proliferative LN requires combined immunosuppressive therapy.
In the induction phase, the standard treatment consists of corticosteroids plus either intravenous cyclophosphamide or mycophenolate. Azathioprine of mycophenolate are used for the maintenance treatment.
Some of the patients do not respond to or do not tolerate standard treatment, suffer from repeated disease flares, and long-term immunosuppression is also associated with a risk of potentially serious adverse events; therefore, novel therapeutic options are sought. Calcineurin inhibitors may be used in the treatment of LN.
In recent years, novel therapeutic possibilities have been increasingly used, including biological agents, particularly rituximab, belimumab or abatacept.