# Objective Classification of Lupus Nephritis

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON · 2024 · $580,808

## Abstract

Up to 60% of adults and 80% of children with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) develop
nephritis (LN), with 10–30% progressing to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The gold standard
for diagnosis of LN is a renal biopsy. Histological parameters remain the best predictors of
ESRD. Despite being the gold standard, histological diagnosis of LN has several shortcomings.
In multiple inter-observer renal pathology assessment studies reported thus far, the inter-
pathologist correlation coefficients, or concordance, in assessing most histological parameters
have been sub-optimal. This has provided the impetus for the current proposal.
We propose to leverage the power of computer vision and deep learning to build a classifier that
rivals the best-trained renal pathologists in making a histological diagnosis of LN using current
diagnostic criteria. We propose to train a deep convolutional neural network to distinguish the
different LN classes, and to identify a full spectrum of histological attributes useful for diagnosis.
We will compare the performance of the newly generated neural network in scoring
glomerular/tubulo-interstitial features and LN classes, against a panel of human renal
pathologists. Finally, we propose to build a neural network that can predict clinical outcome
based on baseline renal pathology. Reliable and reproducible classification of LN could
dramatically improve patient management and long-term renal and patient survival.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10908370
- **Project number:** 5R01DK134055-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON
- **Principal Investigator:** CHANDRA MOHAN
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $580,808
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-08-20 → 2028-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10908370

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10908370, Objective Classification of Lupus Nephritis (5R01DK134055-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10908370. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*