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Serum TWEAK as a biomarker for disease activity of systemic lupus erythematosus

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Abstract

Objective

This study aimed to identify serum and urine biomarkers that correlate with disease activity in female patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods

Serum and urine levels of interferon γ-induced protein-10 (IP-10), TNF-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK), and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) of 70 patients with SLE and 61 healthy controls were measured with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.

Results

The serum and urine levels of TWEAK, IP-10, and MCP-1 in both high and low SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) groups of SLE patients were markedly higher compared with those of healthy controls. Moreover, the serum TWEAK level was positively correlated with the serum IP and serum MCP-1 levels (p < 0.001 for both). The serum TWEAK levels, SLEDAI scores, and urine protein/creatinine levels were significantly different between the SLE group with non-renal involvement and with renal involvement (p = 0.034, p < 0.001, and p < 0.001, respectively). The serum TWEAK level was a crucial determinant for a high SLEDAI score and renal involvement (p = 0.044 and p = 0.046, respectively).

Conclusion

Serum TWEAK might be a serologic biomarker candidate that reflects disease activity and renal involvement in patients with SLE.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Daegu Catholic University Medical Center Regional Center for Rheumatic Diseases and Degenerative Arthritis research grant. We thanks Drs Sung-Hoon Park and Ki-Yeun Park for technical assistance of analysis and collection of serum and urine samples.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Arthritis and Autoimmunity Research Center, Catholic University of Daegu School of Medicine, 33, Duryugongwon-ro 17-gil, Nam-gu, Daegu, 705-718, Republic of Korea

    Jung-Yoon Choe & Seong-Kyu Kim

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  1. Jung-Yoon Choe
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Correspondence to Seong-Kyu Kim.

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Responsible Editor: Graham R. Wallace.

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Choe, JY., Kim, SK. Serum TWEAK as a biomarker for disease activity of systemic lupus erythematosus. Inflamm. Res. 65, 479–488 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00011-016-0930-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00011-016-0930-5

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