How long can patients with lupus nephritis live?

With effective treatment, patients with lupus nephritis due to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) generally have a life expectancy of over 10 years. Without effective treatment, survival is typically only several months or 1–2 years. If after appropriate treatment the manifestations of SLE and lupus nephritis are mild, without elevated creatinine or blood pressure, and kidney pathology shows type I–III, patients who respond well to therapy usually survive more than 10 years, with some individuals achieving a normal life span. However, if lupus nephritis is either untreated or poorly responsive to treatment, accompanied by increased serum creatinine and elevated blood pressure, and kidney biopsy reveals type IV–VI lesions—indicating more severe disease—and if the patient responds poorly to therapy, their life expectancy may be significantly shortened, rapidly progressing to uremia. Without dialysis, survival in such cases is typically only several months or about 1–2 years.