​Symptoms vary, depending on the severity of the kidney inflammation. Patients may have high blood pressure, frothy or reddish urine or swelling in the feet, ankles, hands or face If lupus nephritis is not diagnosed or treated, the kidneys will be permanently scarred with irreversible loss of function. Complete loss of kidney function is known as end stage renal disease.

Patients with lupus nephritis may have other lupus symptoms such as joint pain or swelling, rashes on the face or the trunk and fever.