INTRODUCTION: patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have n increased morbidity due to cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a complex syndrome composed by a cluster of cardiovascular risk factors. OBJECTIVES: study the prevalence of MS in a cohort of Brazilian patients with lupus nephritis in a university hospital; evaluate its impact in disease outcome, and the frequency of each specific risk factor. METHODS: 46 patients with lupus nephritis were studied and defined as having or not MS in accordance with the National Cholesterol Education Program - Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP-ATP III) criteria. RESULTS: MS was present in 30.4% of patients. There was significant association between MS presence and low levels of creatinine clearance and high levels of blood creatinine (p < 0.04 and p < 0.008, respectively). The class of lupus nephritis, the disease duration, cumulative dose of prednisone, 24-hour urine protein and Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) score were not significantly associated with MS. CONCLUSION: In our cohort of patients with lupus nephritis there was a high prevalence of MS, comparable to international data. The only factors associated with MS in that population were the ones that define chronic renal damage.
lupus; nephritis; metabolic syndrome
