Objective: Cryptococcal meningitis (CM) is a rare condition in patients with lupus nephritis (LN). Here, we describe the clinical characteristics, possible risk factors, and outcomes of LN patients with CM.
Methods: A systematic review of medical records from16 LN patients with CM admitted to our hospital was performed. A total of 32 cases were randomly selected as controls from LN patients without infection during the same period.
Results: The mean age of patients with CM at presentation was 35.1 years, and the female-to-male ratio was 15:1.The most common clinical manifestation was headache (93.7%); patients with CM had a significantly higher prednisone dose at the time of hospitalization, a higher SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI), a higher urine protein/creatinine ratio, and a lower CD4+ T cells count than those without infection (p < 0.05). Patients with CM also had significantly higher activity index and more moderate and severe mesangial proliferation than those without infections (p < 0.001 and p = 0.025, respectively).
Conclusion: Serious renal pathological changes, mass proteinuria, higher SLEDAI, higher prednisone dose, and a decline in CD4+ T cells could be risk factors for CM in patients with LN. Key Points ⦁ LN patients with CM had more serious renal pathological changes than those without infections; serious renal pathological changes could be a major risk factor for CM in patients with LN.
Keywords: Cryptococcal meningitis; Lupus nephritis; Renal pathology.