Blood test may spot lupus kidney damage early, reducing need for biopsies

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Inclusion criteria for LN group: 1. Adult patients (≥ 18 and \> 60 years) of either sex. 2. Fulfill the 2019 EULAR/ACR Classification Criteria for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). 3. Diagnosis of active lupus nephritis requiring a renal biopsy as per standard clinical indications (e.g., proteinuria ≥ 0.5 g/24h, active urinary sediment, unexplained rise in serum creatinine). 4. Availability of an adequate renal biopsy specimen for histopathological evaluation according to the International Society of Nephrology/Renal Pathology Society (ISN/RPS) 2018 classification. 5. Renal biopsy performed within 3 months prior to enrollment, and patient has not received induction immunosuppressive therapy (cyclophosphamide, mycophenolate mofetil, or calcineurin inhibitors) in the period between biopsy and enrollment. 6. Provision of written informed consent. b)Inclusion Criteria for Control Groups: <!-- --> 1. SLE without nephritis: Patients meeting SLE criteria without any clinical or laboratory evidence of renal involvement (normal urinalysis, proteinuria \< 0.3 g/24h, normal serum creatinine). 2. Healthy controls: Age- and sex-matched healthy individuals with no history of autoimmune disease, normal urinalysis, and negative autoantibodies (ANA, anti-dsDNA). Exclusion Criteria: \- Participants will be excluded if ANY of the following criteria apply: <!-- --> 1. Other Kidney Diseases: * Presence of, or suspicion of, any other primary or significant secondary kidney disease unrelated to SLE (e.g., diabetic nephropathy, hypertensive nephrosclerosis, IgA nephropathy, significant drug-induced nephrotoxicity, rheumatoid arthritis, positive HBs antigen or HCV antibody). 2. Confounding Clinical Conditions: * Presence of an active or recent major infection (e.g., sepsis, pneumonia, UTI) at the time of enrollment, as infection can significantly alter immune markers. * Presence of advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD Stage 4 or 5) predating the diagnosis of SLE. * Pregnancy or lactation. 3. Confounding Medications: * Receipt of high-dose corticosteroids (\> 20 mg/day of prednisone or equivalent) or any potent immunosuppressive agent (e.g., cyclophosphamide, mycophenolate mofetil, rituximab) within 4 weeks prior to the renal biopsy and blood sampling).