Abstract: Objective To investigate the features of renal replacement therapy in patients with end-stage renal disease of lupus nephritis. Methods Clinical features of renal replacement therapy for lupus nephritis patients treated in this hospital were analyzed retrospectively. Results We observed 23 patients who had lupus nephritis at the uremia stage and were regularly treated with renal replacement therapy. The ratio of male to female was 1: 1.9. Renal replacement therapy selected at the beginning was hemodialysis in 10 patients (43.5%) and peritoneal dialysis in 13 patients (56.5%). Their following-up period lasted for 6~211 months. In this period, 4 patients died, in which 2 were died of cardiovascular diseases. The five-year survival rate was 85%. Partial improvement of renal function was found in 4 of the 10 cases on hemodialysis for one year, and the residual renal Kt/V increased in 2 of the 13 cases on peritoneal dialysis for one year. Hemodialysis was changed to peritoneal dialysis in 2 cases (20%) due to atrial fibrillation, carpal tunnel syndrome or A-V fistula dysfunction, and peritoneal dialysis was replaced by hemodialysis in 5 cases (38.5%) due to peritonitis. In the first year of the dialysis therapy, 14 cases (60.9%) were complicated with infections, and 6 cases (21.6%) developed extrarenal manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus. Conclusion The uremia stage of lupus nephritis treated with renal replacement therapy will have a relatively better prognosis. Partial improvement of renal function may be found in some of the patients after one year of the treatment. Cardiovascular involvement is the major cause of death.

Key words: Uremia, Hemodialysis, Peritoneal dialysis