Histopathological and Direct Immunofluorescent Changes in Renal Biopsies of Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

common autoimmune disorders in women during their child bearing age and is being recognized increasingly throughout the world. The female to male ratio is 9:1 when the female is in child bearing age. The fundamental defect in SLE is failure of regulatory mechanisms to sustain self tolerance. SLE can involve any organ and the most common visceral organ involved is the kidney. Renal disease occurs approximately in half the patients with SLE as immune mediated nephritis is a common complication. A kidney biopsy is thus essential in renal assessment of patients with SLE. Almost all patients of SLE have abnormalities of renal biopsy especially if histopathology is supplemented by immunofluorescence and electron microscopy. Renal biopsy using WHO classification provides valuable information concerning the risk of renal failure even 10 years after initial