Patients with LN-ESRD have high mortality rates, Dr. April Jorge of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA, noted in an email to Reuters Health.

"We found that among nearly all such patients in the US who were waitlisted, renal transplant was associated with a significant survival benefit," she said. "This is an encouraging finding, and clinicians should consider early referral for renal transplantation for patients with LN-ESRD who may be candidates, as this can reduce mortality."