Lupus nephritis is a disease characterized by flareups and remissions. Evaluation of disease activity is important for therapeutic decisions and prognosis. In this study, 46 patients with lupus nephritis were evaluated by Ga-67 scintigraphy. Delayed 48-hour Ga-67 images were performed to evaluate kidney uptake. A patient with a 24-hour urinary protein excretion of 3 g or more or a serum creatinine level greater than 1.5 mg/dl was considered to have active lupus nephritis. Renal disease was active in 22 patients and inactive in 24 patients. Of the 22 patients with active renal disease, 18 (81.8) showed positive Ga-67 results, whereas only 12.5 (3 of 24) of patients with inactive renal disease showed a positive Ga-67 study. The difference between the two groups was significant. Patients with positive Ga-67 scans had a significantly higher serum creatinine level and 24-hour urine protein value than patients with negative Ga-67 scans. In addition, all of the patients (100) with a 24-hour urine protein greater than 4 g/day had a positive Ga-67 scan. It appears that Ga-67 scintigraphy is useful for the evaluation of disease activity in lupus nephritis.
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