Urinary Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin to Monitor Lupus Nephritis Disease Activity

Background This study was conducted to determine whether there is an association between urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (uNGAL) and urinary transforming growth factor-β1 (uTGF-β1) with lupus nephritis (LN) disease activity. Methods Urine samples from 18 LN patients were collected every month for six months then examined for uNGAL, uTGF-β1, and renal domain Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) score. Results The uNGAL levels were significantly different between active and inactive LN (P < 0.05). uTGF-β1 levels were not different between active and inactive LN (P > 0.05). There was a significant correlation between uNGAL levels and renal domain SLEDAI score (r= 0.417, P < 0.05). There was no correlation between uTGF-β1 levels and renal domain SLEDAI score (r = 0.031, P > 0.05). Conclusion uNGAL is better than uTGF-β1 for differentiation of active and inactive LN. uNGAL can be considered as a biomarker to monitor LN disease activity.

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The importance of serum neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin level in patients with lupus nephritis

Journal of Renal Injury Prevention ◽

10.15171/jrip.2019.25 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 133-139

Author(s):

Mohammad Reza Jafari Nakhjavani ◽

Sima Abediazar ◽

Amir Ghorbanihaghjo ◽

Behnaz Hanafizadeh ◽

Sepideh Zununi Vahed ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lupus Nephritis ◽

Disease Activity ◽

Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Activity Index ◽

Renal Involvement ◽

Disease Activity Index ◽

Serum Levels ◽

Roc Curve Analysis ◽

Neutrophil Gelatinase Associated Lipocalin ◽

Neutrophil Gelatinase

Introduction: The neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) has emerged as a biomarker of renal damage. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the serum levels of NGAL (sNGAL) as a marker of disease activity in individuals with lupus nephritis (LN). Patients and Methods: This study contained 50 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) individuals with (n = 25) and without (n = 25) nephritis, and 39 healthy controls. The sNGAL levels were measured by ELISA. Renal function test, urinary parameters, lupus serology activity, and also calculated SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) were analyzed to determine their associations with sNGAL. Results: The results revealed that the SLE individuals with or without nephritis had a raised serum NGAL levels as compared to control subjects (P<0.001). Additionally, sNGAL levels in LN individuals were meaningfully higher compared to those in non-LN patients (P<0.001). Serum NGAL showed a significant correlation with the SLEDAI, serum creatinine, and 24-h urinary protein (P<0.05). More importantly, sNGAL had a significant positive correlation with the activity index of LN (r = 0.616, P=0.001). In the ROC curve analysis, the measurement of sNGAL level showed a good diagnostic performance for distinguishing individuals with LN from SLE patients without renal involvement with AUC=0.902 (P<0.001), 72% sensitivity, and 99% specificity. Moreover, sNGAL could identify all of SLE patients from controls with high accuracy, AUC= 0.99, P<0.001, with 99% sensitivity, and 97% specificity. Conclusion: Serum NGAL had an association with clinical parameters and could discriminate LN from SLE patients without renal involvement. Our result suggests that serum NGAL can be used for early diagnosis of LN and identifying active LN.

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Η σημασία νεότερων βιολογικών δεικτών στην εκτίμηση της νεφρίτιδας του νεανικού συστηματικού ερυθηματώδους λύκου

10.12681/eadd/40300 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Άρτεμις-Ωραιάνθη Κουτσονικολή

Keyword(s):

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Disease Activity ◽

Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Activity Index ◽

High Mobility ◽

Disease Activity Index ◽

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease ◽

Systemic Lupus ◽

Neutrophil Gelatinase Associated Lipocalin ◽

Neutrophil Gelatinase

Εισαγωγή. Η νεφρίτιδα αποτελεί τον καθοριστικότερο παράγοντα της συνολικής βαρύτητας και πρόγνωσης του παιδιατρικού Συστηματικού Ερυθηματώδους Λύκου (πΣΕΛ). Η ανεύρεση νέων βιολογικών δεικτών, ειδικών για τη νεφρίτιδα του πΣΕΛ, θα επιτρέψει τη μη επεμβατική εκτίμηση της πορείας της και τη στοχευμένη θεραπεία. Τα επιστημονικά δεδομένα για τους παιδιατρικούς ασθενείς, ιδιαιτέρως για ομοιογενείς καυκάσιους πληθυσμούς, είναι ακόμη ελλειπή. Σκοπός. Να διερευνηθεί η σχέση των αντισωμάτων έναντι των νουκλεοσωμάτων (αντι-NCS) ορού, των αντισωμάτων έναντι της βασικής μεμβράνης του σπειράματος (αντι-GBM) ορού, των αντισωμάτων έναντι του παράγοντα C1q του συμπληρώματος (αντι-C1q) ορού, της πρωτεΐνης High-Mobility Group Box-1 (HMGB1) ορού και ούρων και της Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin (NGAL) ούρων με: (α) την παρουσία νεφρίτιδας στον πΣΕΛ και (β) με την ενεργότητα του πΣΕΛ και της νεφρίτιδας ειδικότερα, σε έναν αμιγώς καυκάσιο πληθυσμό ασθενών από τη βόρεια Ελλάδα. Υλικό-Μέθοδοι. Ελήφθησαν δείγματα ορού και ούρων από 22 ασθενείς με πΣΕΛ και νεφρίτιδα, 20 ασθενείς με πΣΕΛ χωρίς νεφρίτιδα, 15 ασθενείς με νεφρίτιδα άλλης αυτοάνοσης αιτιολογίας (IgA νεφροπάθεια, νεφρίτιδα πορφύρας Henoch-Schönlein, μεταλοιμώδη νεφρίτιδα ή μεμβρανώδη σπειραματονεφρίτιδα) και 26 υγιείς μάρτυρες. Ο προσδιορισμός των βιολογικών δεικτών έγινε με τη μέθοδο ELISA. Η ενεργότητα του πΣΕΛ και της νεφρίτιδας του πΣΕΛ εκτιμήθηκε με το εργαλείο SLEDAI-2K (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index-2000). Αποτελέσματα. Α. Βιολογικοί δείκτες ορού. Τα επίπεδα των αντι-NCS, των αντι-GBM, των αντι-C1q και της HMGB1 βρέθηκαν στατιστικώς σημαντικά υψηλότερα στους ασθενείς με νεφρίτιδα του πΣΕΛ συγκριτικά με τους υγιείς μάρτυρες αλλά και συγκριτικά με τους ασθενείς με νεφρίτιδα άλλης αυτοάνοσης αιτιολογίας. Κατά τη σύγκριση των επιπέδων των βιολογικών δεικτών ορού μεταξύ των ασθενών με νεφρίτιδα του πΣΕΛ και των ασθενών με πΣΕΛ χωρίς νεφρίτιδα, τα αντι-NCS, τα αντι-GBM και η HMGB1 παρουσίαζαν στατιστικώς σημαντικά υψηλότερες τιμές στους ασθενείς με νεφρίτιδα, ενώ για τα αντι-C1q δεν παρατηρήθηκαν στατιστικώς σημαντικές διαφορές. Τα επίπεδα της HMGB1 παρουσίασαν υψηλή θετική συσχέτιση με την ενεργότητα της νεφρίτιδας του πΣΕΛ. Τα επίπεδα της HMGB1 και των αντι-C1q παρουσίασαν μέτρια θετική συσχέτιση με την ενεργότητα του πΣΕΛ συνολικά. Β. Βιολογικοί δείκτες ούρων. Τα επίπεδα της NGAL και της HMGB1 ήταν στατιστικώς σημαντικά υψηλότερα στους ασθενείς με νεφρίτιδα του πΣΕΛ συγκριτικά με τους ασθενείς με πΣΕΛ χωρίς νεφρίτιδα. Επιπλέον, τα επίπεδα της NGAL παρουσίασαν μέτρια θετική συσχέτιση και τα επίπεδα της HMGB1 υψηλή θετική συσχέτιση με την ενεργότητα της νεφρίτιδας του πΣΕΛ. Συμπεράσματα. Σε αυτόν τον ομοιογενή πληθυσμό Καυκάσιων ασθενών με πΣΕΛ, τα αντι-NCS, τα αντι-GBM, η HMGB1 ορού και ούρων και η NGAL ούρων προέκυψαν ως πιθανοί χρήσιμοι βιολογικοί δείκτες, ενδεικτικοί της νεφρικής προσβολής. Επιπλέον, τα αντι-NCS, τα αντι-GBM και η HMGB1 ορού δεν φαίνεται να παρουσιάζουν αύξηση σε νεφρίτιδες άλλης αυτοάνοσης αιτιολογίας. Η HMGB1 ορού και ούρων και η NGAL ούρων προέκυψαν ως πιθανοί χρήσιμοι βιολογικοί δείκτες παρακολούθησης της ενεργότητας της νεφρίτιδας του πΣΕΛ. Τα αντι-C1q και η HMGB1 ορού προέκυψαν ως πιθανοί χρήσιμοι βιολογικοί δείκτες παρακολούθησης της ενεργότητας του πΣΕΛ συνολικά.

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Assessment of SLEDAI Score in Children with Lupus Nephritis Class III-IV in Vietnam National Children’s Hospital

VNU Journal of Science Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences ◽

10.25073/2588-1132/vnumps.4238 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 36 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Duong Thi Thanh Binh ◽

Nguyen Thu Huong ◽

Nguyen Thi Kien ◽

Pham Van Dem ◽

Tran Minh Dien

Keyword(s):

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Lupus Nephritis ◽

Disease Activity ◽

Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Activity Index ◽

Disease Activity Index ◽

Class Iii ◽

Systemic Lupus ◽

Sledai Score ◽

Pediatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

This study describes clinical, paraclinical characteristics and treatment response in children with nephritis class II-IV caused by systemic lupus erythematosus and validates SLEDAI for the evaluation of disease activity and the appropriate treatment strategy. A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out on 40 children, 37 girls (92%) and 3 boys (8%), with an average age of 11.7 years with lupus nephritis class III- IV in Vietnam National Children’s Hospital in 2019. The study results show that the average score of SLEDAI in the children with pericardial and pleural effusions was 20.94 ± 4.09; high blood pressure, 20.89 ± 4.23; and gross hematuria, 20.29 ± 5.03, which were higher than those in children without these manifestations with p< 0.05. The most common kidney manifestations were nephrotic-range nephritis with renal failure (40%) and Glomerulonephritis (35%), corresponding to an average SLEDAI score of 24.25 ± 5.52 and 24.33 ± 3.2, respectively (p = 0.001). SLEDAI had an inverse correlation with the C3 complement value (r -0.315, p <0.05). The average SLEDAI score decreased gradually from 18.75 ± 4.22 to 3.38 ± 3.95 points (p <0.001) after 12 months of treatment. The study concludes that SLEDAI score was higher in patients with pleural and/or pericardial effusions, hypertension and gross hematuria, nephrotic-range nephritis with kidney failure or glomerulonephritis. SLEDAI score corresponded with the C3 complement value and the average SLEDAI score decreased gradually with treatment. Keywords: Lupus Nephritis class III- IV, SLEDAI. References [1] George Bertsias, Ricard Cervera và Dimitrios T Boumpas, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Pathogenesis and Clinical Features<sample chapter 20_mod 17_Systemic Lupus nephritis 2012.pdf> (2012), EULAR Textbook on Rheumatic Diseases, EULAR, 476-505.[2] D.M. Levy and S. Kamphuis, Systemic lupus erythematosus in children and adolescents. Pediatr Clin North Am59(2) (2012)345-64.[3] Thai Thien Nam, 2018, Lupus in National Children,s Hospital, [4] C.Bombardier, M.B. Hurwitz et al, Derivation of the SLEDAI: A disease activity index for lupus patients. The committee on prognosis studies in SLE, Arthritis Rheum 35(6) (1992) 630-640.[5] R. Shamim, S. Farman, S. Batool et al, Association of systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index score with clinical and laboratory parameters in pediatric onset systemic lupus erythematosus. Pak J Med Sci. 36(3) (2020) 467-472.[6] Le Thuy Hang, Assesment of SLEDAI score and panthology in children with lupus nephritis, 2016, Pediatrician thesis, Hanoi Medical University.[7] S.K.S.M. Nazri, K.K. Wong and W.Z.W.A. Hamid, Pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus. Retrospective analysis of clinico-laboratory parameters and their association with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index score, Saudi Med J. 39(6) (2018) 627-631. [8] Nguyen Thuy Duong, clinical, paraclinical and pathology characteristics in children with nephritis caused by systemic lupus erythematosus, 2011, Master thesis, Hanoi Medical University.[9] S.N. Wong, W.K. Chan, J.Hui et al, Membranous lupus nephritis in Chinese children--a case series and review of the literature. Pediatr Nephrol, 24(10)(2009) 1989-1996.[10] N.T.N. Dung, H.T. Loan, S. Nielsen et al, Juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus onset patterns in Vietnamese children: a descriptive study of 45 children. Pediatric Rheumatology Online Journal, 10 (2010) 38-48.[11] T. Pusongchai, J. Jungthirapanich, S. Khositseth, Pediatric Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in Thammasat University Hospital, J Med Assoc Thai. 93(12) (2010) 283-290.

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Neutrophil extracellular traps are a source of extracellular HMGB1 in lupus nephritis: associations with clinical and histopathological features

Lupus ◽

10.1177/0961203319883936 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 28 (13) ◽

pp. 1549-1557 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

L P Whittall-García ◽

J Torres-Ruiz ◽

A Zentella-Dehesa ◽

M Tapia-Rodríguez ◽

J Alcocer-Varela ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lupus Nephritis ◽

Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Activity Index ◽

High Mobility ◽

Disease Activity Index ◽

Neutrophil Extracellular Traps ◽

Hmgb1 Protein ◽

Sledai Score ◽

Histopathological Features ◽

Extracellular Traps

Objective This study aimed to analyze the expression of the high mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) protein in neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) of patients with lupus nephritis (LN) and its association with clinical and histopathological features of the disease. Methods Twenty-three patients with biopsy-confirmed LN and 14 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients with active disease (SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) score ≥ 6) and no evidence of LN were included. Clinical and laboratory features were recorded. NETs and the expression of HMGB1 were assessed by confocal microscopy, and serum HMGB1 levels were measured by ELISA. Results In comparison to patients without kidney disease, patients with LN had a higher expression of HMGB1 in spontaneous (57 vs. 30.4; p = 0.027) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced (55.8 vs. 24.9; p = 0.005) NETs. We found a positive correlation between serum HMGB1 and the expression of HMGB1 in LPS-induced NETs ( r = 0.447, p = 0.017). The expression of HMGB1 in spontaneous NETs correlated with SLEDAI score ( r = 0.514, p = 0.001), anti-dsDNA antibodies ( r = 0.467, p = 0.004), the rate of glomerular filtration descent ( r = 0.543, p = 0.001), and diverse histopathological components of active nephritis in the kidney biopsy, such as the activity index ( r = 0.581, p = 0.004), fibrinoid necrosis ( r = 0.603, p = 0.002), and cellular crescents ( r = 0.486, p = 0.019). Conclusions In patients with SLE, NETs are a source of extracellular HMGB1. The expression of HMGB1 in NETs is higher among patients with LN, which correlates with clinical and histopathological features of active nephritis and suggest a possible role of this alarmin in the pathophysiology of kidney damage in SLE.

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Understanding the dynamics of hydroxychloroquine blood levels in lupus nephritis

Lupus ◽

10.1177/0961203320912832 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 29 (6) ◽

pp. 560-568 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Tatiana N Pedrosa ◽

Sandra G Pasoto ◽

Nadia E Aikawa ◽

Emily FN Yuki ◽

Eduardo F Borba ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lupus Nephritis ◽

Disease Activity ◽

Blood Level ◽

Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Activity Index ◽

Disease Activity Index ◽

Blood Levels ◽

Persistent Pattern ◽

Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass ◽

Group 5

Objectives It is unknown if hydroxychloroquine blood level dynamics impact flare rates in lupus nephritis patients. We prospectively evaluated hydroxychloroquine levels to determine which blood-based patterns are more associated with disease activity. Methods In total, 82 lupus nephritis patients under a prescribed hydroxychloroquine dose of 4–5.5 mg/kg actual body weight (maximum 400 mg/day) for ≥3 months were evaluated at baseline and 7 months. Hydroxychloroquine blood levels were determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Flare was defined as increase ≥3 in the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 score and/or a change or increase in therapy. Results Overall, 9/82(11%) patients had flares during follow-up and had lower baseline hydroxychloroquine blood levels than those without flares (220.4 (53.5–1471.1) vs. 1006.3 (53.5–2137.8) ng/ml, p = 0.013). The hydroxychloroquine blood level cut-off that best predicted flares was 613.5 ng/ml (odds ratio = 8.67, 95% confidence interval: 1.66–45.18, p = 0.006). For 77 (94%) patients, the 7-month hydroxychloroquine level dynamics was evaluated and revealed: 59/77 (77%) had a persistent pattern of adequate (41/77(53%)) or fluctuating (18/77 (23%)) levels, with a low and comparable risk of flares (2/41 (5%) vs. 1/18 (5%), p = 1.000). The remaining group had persistent low levels (18/77 (23%)) and their flare frequency was significantly higher than the adequate group (5/18 (28%) vs. 2/41 (5%), p = 0.023). The frequencies of adequate/inadequate hydroxychloroquine blood levels in patients were comparable at baseline and 7 months (McNemar’s test, p = 0.480). Conclusion We provide novel evidence that hydroxychloroquine blood-level patterns (persistently low, adequate, or intermittent) have distinct impacts on flare rates in lupus nephritis patients. These findings reinforce the need of routine hydroxychloroquine measurements to maintain the appropriate blood levels.

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Intrarenal and Urinary Th9 and Th22 Cytokine Gene Expression in Lupus Nephritis

The Journal of Rheumatology ◽

10.3899/jrheum.140954 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 42 (7) ◽

pp. 1150-1155 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Cathy Choi-Wan Luk ◽

Lai-Shan Tam ◽

Bonnie Ching-Ha Kwan ◽

Priscilla Ching-Han Wong ◽

Terry King-Wing Ma ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lupus Nephritis ◽

Disease Activity ◽

Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Activity Index ◽

Mrna Level ◽

Disease Activity Index ◽

Cytokine Gene Expression ◽

Mrna Levels ◽

Active Lupus Nephritis ◽

Histological Activity

Objective.We studied the urinary sediment mRNA level of Th9- and Th22-related cytokines in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).Methods.We quantified urinary mRNA levels of interleukin (IL) 9, IL-10, IL-22, and their corresponding transcription factors in 73 patients with active lupus nephritis, 13 patients with hypertensive nephrosclerosis (HTN), and 25 healthy subjects.Results.There was no detectable IL-9 mRNA in all samples. Patients with proliferative lupus nephritis had significantly lower urinary IL-22 mRNA levels than those with nonproliferative nephritis (2.2 ± 5.4 vs 8.6 ± 20.0 copies, p = 0.019), and urinary IL-22 mRNA level inversely correlated with the histological activity index (r = −0.427, p < 0.0001). In contrast, patients with lupus nephritis had significantly higher urinary IL-10 mRNA levels than patients with HTN (7.8 ± 18.5 vs 1.9 ± 4.0 copies, p = 0.012), and urinary IL-10 mRNA levels correlated with its intrarenal mRNA levels (r = 0.337, p = 0.004) and SLE disease activity index (r = 0.277, p = 0.018). Urinary IL-10 mRNA level was significantly lower among patients who achieved complete remission than those with partial remission or no response (4.1 ± 6.5 vs 14.1 ± 28.0 copies, p = 0.036).Conclusion.Urinary IL-22 mRNA level is decreased in patients with SLE with proliferative nephritis, while urinary IL-10 mRNA levels correlates with its intrarenal mRNA level and disease activity. Urinary IL-10 mRNA levels may also predict treatment response. These results suggest that urinary mRNA levels of IL-10 and IL-22 might be used as biomarkers for assessing disease activity and risk stratification in lupus nephritis.

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Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody in Lupus Nephritis: Correlation with Clinicopathological Characteristics and Disease Activity

Current Rheumatology Reviews ◽

10.2174/1573397116999201208213422 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 16 ◽

Author(s):

Dina Said ◽

Nearmeen Mohammed Rashad ◽

Nora Said Abdelrahmanc ◽

Ghada Aboelsaud Dawaa

Keyword(s):

Lupus Nephritis ◽

Disease Activity ◽

Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Activity Index ◽

Rapidly Progressive Glomerulonephritis ◽

Disease Activity Index ◽

Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic Antibody ◽

Systemic Lupus ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Class Iv

Background:: Lupus nephritis (LN) represents 40%–50% of all systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients, and rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) might be involved in the pathogenesis of LN. Objective:: We evaluated the role of myeloperoxidase (MPO)-ANCA, proteinase 3 (PR3)-ANCA, and anti-glomerular basement membrane autoantibodies (anti-GBM autoAb) for the diagnosis of LN. Methods:: In this cross-sectional study, 95 SLE patients were divided into 2 subgroups: LN group (n = 60) and non-LN group (n = 35). For further analysis, we subclassified the LN group into ANCA-positive (n = 16) and ANCA-negative (n = 44) LN patients. The entire Non-LN group was ANCA-negative. The SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) was reported for each patient. Determination of MPO-ANCA, PR3-ANCA, and anti-GBM autoAb was performed using a novel multiplex bead-based technology in all patients. Data analyses were done using SPSS, version 20. Approval was obtained from the institutional review board of Zagazig University (ZU-IRB#6000). Results:: Of 95 patients with SLE, 16 patients (16.84%) had ANCA-positive LN, all of which were MPO-ANCA. There was a positive correlation between MPO-ANCA and SLEDAI, as well as with class IV LN. Receiver operating characteristic analyses revealed that the sensitivity and specificity of MPO-ANCA were 81.3% and 99.8%, respectively, in discriminating LN from systemic lupus without nephritis. Conclusion:: MPO-ANCA level was significantly correlated with SLEDAI, inflammatory markers, kidney function tests, and LN class IV.

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SLE Plasma Profiling Identifies Unique Signatures of Lupus Nephritis and Discoid Lupus

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-019-50231-y ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Michael A. Smith ◽

Jill Henault ◽

Jodi L. Karnell ◽

Melissa L. Parker ◽

Jeffrey M. Riggs ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lupus Nephritis ◽

Disease Activity ◽

Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Activity Index ◽

Disease Activity Index ◽

Complement C3 ◽

Type I ◽

Tissue Remodelling ◽

Organ Systems ◽

Organ Specific

Abstract Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) impacts multiple organ systems, although the causes of many individual SLE pathologies are poorly understood. This study was designed to elucidate organ-specific inflammation by identifying proteins that correlate with SLE organ involvement and to evaluate established biomarkers of disease activity across a diverse patient cohort. Plasma proteins and autoantibodies were measured across seven SLE manifestations. Comparative analyses between pathologies and correlation with the SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) were used to identify proteins associated with organ-specific and composite disease activity. Established biomarkers of composite disease activity, SLE-associated antibodies, type I interferon (IFN), and complement C3, correlated with composite SLEDAI, but did not significantly associate with many individual SLE pathologies. Two clusters of proteins were associated with renal disease in lupus nephritis samples. One cluster included markers of infiltrating leukocytes and the second cluster included markers of tissue remodelling. In patients with discoid lupus, a distinct signature consisting of elevated immunoglobulin A autoantibodies and interleukin-23 was observed. Our findings indicate that proteins from blood samples can be used to identify protein signatures that are distinct from established SLE biomarkers and SLEDAI and could be used to conveniently monitor multiple inflammatory pathways present in different organ systems.

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Monocyte Chemoattractant-1 as a Urinary Biomarker for the Diagnosis of Activity of Lupus Nephritis in Brazilian Patients

The Journal of Rheumatology ◽

10.3899/jrheum.110201 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 39 (10) ◽

pp. 1948-1954 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

RENATA FERREIRA ROSA ◽

KIOKO TAKEI ◽

NAFICE C. ARAÚJO ◽

SÔNIA M.A. LODUCA ◽

JOSÉ C.M. SZAJUBOK ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lupus Nephritis ◽

Disease Activity ◽

Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Activity Index ◽

Sandwich Elisa ◽

Disease Activity Index ◽

High Specificity ◽

Control Group ◽

Kidney Involvement ◽

Active Lupus Nephritis

Objective.Monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP-1), involved in the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis (LN), has recently been indicated as a new biomarker of kidney activity in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Our aim was to assess urinary MCP-1 (uMCP-1) as a biomarker of renal activity in patients with SLE and to compare it to other disease activity markers, using the ELISA.Methods.Seventy-five female Brazilian patients with SLE and a control group participated in our study. Patients with SLE were distributed among 3 groups according to kidney involvement and classified according to disease activity based on clinical and laboratory measures such as urinary sediment, proteinuria, kidney function, C3, C4, anti-dsDNA, disease activity index, and renal SLE disease activity index. The serum and uMCP-1 concentrations were measured by sandwich ELISA.Results.In the A-LN group (active lupus nephritis: SLE with kidney involvement), the concentration of uMCP-1 was significantly higher than in other groups. A cutoff point was established using the results of the control group to apply this test in the detection of LN. A-LN had a higher frequency of positive results for uMCP-1 in comparison to the other groups (p < 0.001). To detect disease activity in patients with LN, a new cutoff was determined based on the results of patients with SLE with kidney involvement. Setting specificity at 90%, the sensitivity of the test was 50%.Conclusion.The high specificity makes uMCP-1 a useful test as a predictor of kidney activity in SLE, especially when associated to other measures used in clinical practice.

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Susceptibility of BAFF-var allele carriers to severe SLE with occurrence of lupus nephritis

10.21203/rs.2.13758/v3 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Justa Friebus-Kardash ◽

Marten Trendelenburg ◽

Ute Eisenberger ◽

Camillo Ribi ◽

Carlo Chizzolini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lupus Nephritis ◽

Disease Activity ◽

Lupus Erythematosus ◽

Activity Index ◽

Immunosuppressive Agents ◽

Disease Activity Index ◽

University Hospital ◽

Study Entry ◽

Organ Manifestations ◽

The University

Abstract Background: Dysregulation of the B-cell activating factor (BAFF) system is involved in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Increased serum concentrations of BAFF are related to lupus nephritis and disease activity among SLE patients. Recently, a variant of the BAFF-encoding gene, BAFF-var, was identified to be associated with autoimmune diseases, in particular SLE, and to promote the production of soluble BAFF. The present study aimed to assess the prevalence of BAFF-var in a cohort of 195 SLE patients and to analyze the association of the BAFF-var genotype (TNSF13B) with various manifestations of SLE. Methods: A cohort of 195 SLE patients from Central Europe, including 153 patients from the Swiss SLE Cohort Study and 42 patients from the University Hospital Essen, Germany, underwent genotyping for detection of BAFF-var allele. Results: Of the 195 patients, 18 (9.2%) tested positive for BAFF-var variant according to the minor allele frequency of 4.6%. The presence of BAFF-var was associated with the occurrence of lupus nephritis (p=0.038) (p=0.03 and p=0.003). Among various organ manifestations of SLE, the presence of BAFF-var was associated with the occurrence of lupus nephritis (p=0.038; odds ratio [OR], 2.4; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.89-6.34) and renal activity markers such as proteinuria and hematuria (p=0.03; OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 0.9-6.4 for proteinuria; p=0.003; OR, 3.9; 95% CI, 1.43-10.76 for hematuria). SLE patients carrying the BAFF-var allele exhibited increased disease activity at study entry, as determined by the physician's global assessment (PGA: p=0.002; OR, 4.8; 95% CI, 1.54-14.93) and the SLE Disease Activity Index (p=0.012; OR, 3.5; 95% CI, 1.12-11.18). Consistent with that, the percentage of patients treated with immunosuppressive agents at study entry was higher among those carrying the BAFF-var allele than among those tested negative for BAFF-var (p=0.006; OR, 3.7; 95% CI, 1.27-10.84). Conclusions: Our results indicate an association between the BAFF-var genotype and increased severity of SLE. Determining the BAFF-var status of SLE patients may improve the risk stratification of patients for whom the development of lupus nephritis is more likely and thus may be helpful in the follow-up care and treatment of SLE patients.

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