The unique challenges of childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus and lupus nephritis patients: a proposed framework for an individualized transitional care plan.

ABSTRACT: Childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE) is a severe lifelong and life-threatening autoimmune disease with multi-organ involvement. Compared to those with adult-onset disease, cSLE patients have more aggressive disease with a higher prevalence of early lupus nephritis (LN) causing worse kidney and patient outcomes. The transfer of adolescent patients to adult healthcare poses several major challenges, from a disease as well as a psychosocial perspective. Transitional care even in tertiary centers can be heterogenous, suboptimal, and often even non-existent. In this comprehensive review of the literature, we synthesize the obstacles adolescents and young adults (AYA) with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and LN face and how these challenges impact the transfer to adult health c

SUBMITTER: Renson T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12401761 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature