Full-house nephropathy in a patient with negative serology for lupus

A 10-year-old girl presented with a complaint of recurrent abdominal pain. Physical examination findings were unremarkable. Laboratory investigations revealed BUN of 17 mg/dl and creatinine of 1 mg/dl, and complement levels were normal. She had neither hematuria nor proteinuria, and glomerular filtration rate was 60.9 ml/min/1.73 m². ANA, anti-DNA, p-ANCA and c-ANCA were all negative. Renal biopsy revealed findings of class III lupus nephritis in light, “full-house” nephropathy in immune fluorescent and tubuloreticular inclusions in electron microscopic examinations. After 17 months of treatment, her last creatinine is 2.5 mg/dl and GFR is 17.9 ml/min/1.73 m² and ANA and anti-DNA remain still negative. This case presents an example that decreased GFR can be the first presenting symptom of full-house nephropathy. Those patients who have negative lupus serology and renal biopsy findings of full-house nephropathy and tubuloreticular inclusions may behave and should be treated as lupus nephritis.