Treatment of end-stage renal disease due to lupus nephritis: comparison of six patients treated with both peritoneal and hemodialysis.

End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is one of the most significant complications of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Previous investigators have evaluated the morbidity and mortality of different renal replacement treatment modalities in these patients. Earlier reports have suggested that the systemic manifestations of SLE diminish, or "burn out," once ESRD occurs. These investigators also suggested that vascular access complications were a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in these patients treated with hemodialysis (HD). A retrospective review of the records of 6 patients with ESRD from lupus nephritis (LN), who received both HD and peritoneal dialysis (PD), was performed to determine if there was a difference in disease activity between treatment modalities, using patients as self-controls. The number of SLE flares was determined by clinical and/or serologic studies, and prednisone dosages compared for each treatment modality. Four of the 6 patients continued to have active SLE after renal replacement therapy was begun. There were no significant differences in the number of SLE flares or prednisone dosages while receiving either treatment modality. While PD eliminates problems associated with vascular access, both HD and PD were effective forms of renal replacement therapy. Most patients in this study continued to have active SLE after commencement of dialysis, with no differences in disease activity noted during HD or PD.