Do circulating antibodies against C1q reflect the activity of lupus nephritis?
Simultaneous presence of hematuria and anti-C1q Abs may indicate an ongoing inflammatory process in the glomeruli in patients with SLE.
Chronic exposure to nicotine selectively compromises the outer medullary microcirculation, blunting a local vasodilatory response to acute nicotine administration. Repeated acute-on-chronic exposure to nicotine may predispose to hypoxic medullary injury.