What do high epithelial cells, blood, and protein in urine mean for someone with lupus?
These findings together may indicate lupus nephritis, which is kidney inflammation caused by lupus. When lupus affects the kidneys, it damages the glomeruli—tiny blood vessels that filter waste from your blood.
When these filters become Show Full Answer
What do high epithelial cells, blood, and protein in urine mean for someone with lupus?
These findings together may indicate lupus nephritis, which is kidney inflammation caused by lupus. When lupus affects the kidneys, it damages the glomeruli—tiny blood vessels that filter waste from your blood.
When these filters become damaged, they can't work properly. This allows things that should stay in your body, like protein and blood cells, to leak into your urine instead.
Here's what each finding suggests:
* Blood in urine (hematuria) - Causes pink or light brown urine and indicates kidney damage
* High protein levels (proteinuria) - Creates foamy or frothy urine and shows the kidneys are leaking protein
* High RBCs - Confirms blood is present in the urine
The combination of these abnormal results in your urinalysis is an important warning sign that your kidneys may be affected by lupus. Your doctor will likely want to monitor you closely and may order additional tests, including blood work to check creatinine levels or possibly a kidney biopsy to determine the extent of kidney involvement.
It's important to discuss these results with your healthcare provider promptly, as early detection and treatment of lupus nephritis can help prevent more serious kidney damage.
March 13
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