Sex differences in childhood lupus nephritis
D. S. Celermajer, P. S. Thorner, R. Baumal and G. S. Arbus
The renal status of 60 children (15 male and 45 female) with systemic lupus
erythematosus seen over a 21-year period was evaluated clinically and by
renal biopsy. The occurrence of serious clinical renal disease at initial
observation, more severe renal impairment at outcome, and diffuse
proliferative lupus nephritis were more common in male than in female
patients. Although lupus is relatively uncommon in male subjects, our
epidemiologic study shows that there is a sex difference in the severity of
lupus nephritis, with male subjects being more severely affected than
female subjects.
