The burden of chronic kidney disease in systemic lupus erythematosus: A nationwide epidemiologic study.

Abstract

To analyze the impact of chronic kidney disease (CKD) on major clinical outcome in SLE by using a nationwide database. Characteristics of all admitted SLE patients experiencing CKD (eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2) in France from 2009 to 2015 were analyzed through the French medico- administrative database. Factors associated with CKD and major clinical outcomes such as end-stage renal disease (ESRD), cardiovascular event (CVE), septic shock and death were assessed. We used a multivariate Cox proportional hazard model and subdistribution hazard models to analyze survival without major clinical events according to the presence of CKD. From 2009 to 2015, 26,320 SLE patients were hospitalized in France. Among them, 6439 (86.5% women; mean age 45.7 [16.5] years old) had a baseline stay in 2009 during which CKD was reported in 428 (6.7%) cases. Multivariate analysis showed that lupus nephritis (OR 6.6 [5.2-8.4]), high blood pressure (OR 3.5 [2.8-4.5]), septic shock (OR 3.2 [1.7-6.0]) and past cardiovascular history (OR 1.4 [1.0-2.0]) were associated with CKD status. From 2009 to 2015, ESRD, CVE, septic shock, and death occurred in 4.0%, 14.4%, 6.3% and 9.6% of the 6439 SLE patients. CKD at baseline was independently and strongly associated with the occurrence of ESRD (sdHR 15.9 [11.6-21.9]), CVE (sdHR 1.7 [1.4-2.2]), septic shock (sdHR 2.1 [1.5-2.8]) and death (HR 1.7 [1.3-2.2]) during the follow up. CKD is a major risk factor for overall morbidity and mortality in SLE patients, highlighting the need for early pre-CKD lupus nephritis diagnosis and treatment.