Objective To investigate the features of renal lesion in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods The clinical pathology changes of 20 patients with renal lesion by RA were analyzed. Results The clinical features of patients showed chronic glomerulonephritis in 8 cases,nephritic syndrome 4 cases, chronic interstitial nephritis in 3 cases, chronic renal failure in 4 cases, and acute renal failure in 1 case. The patients with glomerulonephritis accompanied with the increase of immunoglobulin, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein or rheumatoid factor. Kidney biopsy of 7 patients found membranous nephro-pathy in, IgA nephropathy in 3 and vasculitis in 1. Conclusion The common renal lesion in RA is glomerulonephritis, with mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis or membranous nephropathy. One of the basic pathoh,gi,.al changes is vasculitis,which could result in necrotizing vasculitis.The disorder of immunologic function couht play important role in renal damage in patients with RA.