Table 1 Overview of kidney biopsy findings in patients with connective tissue diseases

Tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN)

Sjögren syndrome [2, 6, 7], Rheumatoid arthritis [17]

Mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis/IgA nephropathy

Sjögren syndrome [2], Polymyositis [46, 50, 51], Dermatomyositis [58], Systemic lupus erythematosus [80], Rheumatoid arthritis [17, 138]

Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS)

Sjögren syndrome [6], Systemic lupus erythematosus [81], Antiphospholipid syndrome [124], Rheumatoid arthritis [139]

Cryoglobulinemic membrano-proliferative glomerulonephritis

Sjögren syndrome [2, 6]

Minimal change disease

Sjögren syndrome [6, 24], Polymyositis [52], Systemic lupus erythematosus [82, 83], Antiphospholipid syndrome [124], Rheumatoid arthritis [17]

Membranous nephropathy

Sjögren syndrome [2, 6], Polymyositis [53], Dermatomyositis [55–57], Class V lupus nephritis [78], Antiphospholipid syndrome [124], Rheumatoid arthritis [17, 133–135]

Secondary renal amyloidosis

Sjögren syndrome [18], Rheumatoid arthritis [17, 136, 137]

Thrombotic microangiopathy

Antiphospholipid syndrome [119, 123], Scleroderma renal crisis [13]

Diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis

Dermatomyositis [49]

IgM nephropathy

Systemic lupus erythematosus [81]

Collapsing glomerulopathy

Systemic lupus erythematosus [79]

Lupus nephritis

Class I to VI lupus nephritis [78], drug-induced proliferative lupus nephritis [142]

Fibrillary glomerulonephritis

Antiphospholipid syndrome [125], Rheumatoid arthritis [140]

Necrotizing crescentic glomerulonephritis (including drug-induced forms)

Scleroderma [35], Rheumatoid arthritis [141]

Focal proliferative glomerulonephritis

Rheumatoid arthritis [17]

Crescentic GN with FSGS

Polymyositis [61]

C3 nephropathy

Antiphospholipid syndrome [124]