EDITORIAL

Immunology and the diagnosis of lupus nephritis Despite advances in the treatment of lupus nephritis (LN), 10–15 % of the patients proceed to end-stage renal failure.1 Additionally, the standard treatment options pose a significant threat in terms of side effects to the patient, and even medication-related deaths occur, as documented in recent studies comparing MMF and cyclophosphamide.2 New means of diag-nosing and monitoring LN could help to improve the outcome of LN. Systemic markers for SLE activity Traditionally, serum levels of anti-dsDNA antibodies andhypocomplementemia are used to identify patients with high disease activity and at risk for developing LN. Although C3, C4 and anti-DNA antibodies ar