J Korean Rheum Assoc.  2010 Dec;17(4):393-399. 10.4078/jkra.2010.17.4.393.

Clinical Significance of Serum C1q-Circulating Immune Complexes in Patients with Lupus Nephritis

Affiliations
  • 1Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Keimyung University School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea. mdkim9111@dsmc.or.kr
  • 2Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Konkuk University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
  • 3Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Abstract


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether serum C1q-circulating immune complexes (C1q-CIC) serve as a predictive marker for renal flares in patients with lupus nephritis.
METHODS
Twenty-five patients with lupus nephritis and 24 healthy controls were enrolled. Patients with lupus nephritis had their serum C1q-CIC titers and other serologic parameters such as serum C3, C4, anti-dsDNA antibody, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate measured simultaneously. The systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index (SLEDAI) was also checked.
RESULTS
Serum C1q-CIC titers were higher in patients with lupus nephritis than in healthy controls (109.33+/-53.79 microg/mL vs. 75.28+/-22.91 microg/mL, p=0.008). A statistically significant association was found between serum C1q-CIC titers and C3 (p=0.011), C4 (p=0.027), and anti-dsDNA antibody (p=0.014). SLEDAI was also correlated with serum C1q-CIC titers (p=0.022).
CONCLUSION
Serum C1q-CIC appears to be related to renal disease activity in patients with lupus nephritis. These results suggest that serum C1q-CIC is a predictive marker for renal flares in patients with lupus nephritis.

Keyword

Lupus nephritis; C1q-Circulating Immune Complexes

MeSH Terms

Antigen-Antibody Complex
Blood Sedimentation
Humans
Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic
Lupus Nephritis
Antigen-Antibody Complex

Figure

  • Fig. 1. Serum levels of C1q-circulating immune complexes (C1g-CIC) in healthy controls and patients with lupus nephritis (p=0.008).

  • Fig. 2. Correlations between serum C1q-circulating immune compleses (C1q) level and C3 (A), C4 (B), anti-ds DNA antibody (C), and the systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index (SLEDAI) (D) were observed in patients with lupus nephritis.


Reference

1). Austin HA 3rd., Klippel JH., Balow JE., le Riche NG., Steinberg AD., Plotz PH, et al. Therapy of lupus nephritis. Controlled trial of prednisone and cytotoxic drugs. N Engl J Med. 1986. 314:614–9.
2). Steinberg AD., Steinberg SC. Long-term preservation of renal function in patients with lupus nephritis receiving treatment that includes cyclophosphamide versus those treated with prednisone only. Arthritis Rheum. 1991. 34:945–50.
Article
3). Isenberg DA., Ravirajan CT., Rahman A., Kalsi J. The role of antibodies to DNA in systemic lupus erythematosus. A review and introduction to an international workshop on DNA antibodies held in London, May 1996. Lupus. 1997. 6:290–304.
Article
4). Cameron JS., Turner DR., Ogg CS., Williams DG., Lessof MH., Chantler C, et al. Systemic lupus with nephritis: a long-term study. Q J Med. 1979. 48:1–24.
5). Coremans IE., Spronk PE., Bootsma H., Daha MR., van der Voort EA., Kater L, et al. Changes in antibodies to C1q predict renal relapses in systemic lupus erythematosus. Am J Kidney Dis. 1995. 26:595–601.
Article
6). Houssiau FA., D'Cruz D., Vianna J., Hughes GR. Lupus nephritis: the significance of serological tests at the time of biopsy. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 1991. 9:345–9.
7). Navarro M., Cervera R., Font J., Reverter JC., Monteagudo J., Escolar G, et al. Anti-endothelial cell antibodies in systemic autoimmune diseases: Prevalence and clinical significance. Lupus. 1997. 6:521–6.
8). D'Cruz DP., Houssiau FA., Ramirez G., Baguley E., McCutcheon J., Vianna J, et al. Antibodies to endothelial cells in systemic lupus erythematosus: a potential marker for nephritis and vasculitis. Clin Exp Immunol. 1991. 85:254–61.
9). Johnson DW. Mycophenolate mofetil for treatment of refractory lupus nephritis. Intern Med J. 2001. 31:312.
Article
10). Karassa FB., Isenberg DA. Efficacy of mycophenolate mofetil in patients with diffuse proliferative lupus nephritis. N Engl J Med. 2001. 344:382–3.
Article
11). Adu D. The evidence base for the treatment of lupus nephritis in the new millennium. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2001. 16:1536–8.
Article
12). Lloyd W., Schur PH. Immune complexes, complement and anti-DNA in exacerbation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Medicine (Baltimore). 1981. 60:208–17.
13). ter Borg EJ., Horst G., Hummel EJ., Limburg PC., Kallemberg CG. Measurement of increases in anti-double-stranded DNA antibody levels as a predictor of disease exacerbation in systemic lupus erythematosus. A long-term, prospective study. Arthritis Rheum. 1990. 33:634–43.
14). Okamura M., Kanayama Y., Amastu K., Negoro N., Kohda S., Takeda T, et al. Significance of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for antibodies to double stranded and single stranded DNA in patients with lupus nephritis: Correlation with severity of renal histology. Ann Rheum Dis. 1993. 52:14–20.
15). Swaak AJ., Aarden LA., Statius van Eps LW., Feltkamp TE. Anti-DNA and complement profiles as prognostic guides in systemic lupus erythematosus. Arthritis Rheum. 1979. 22:226–35.
16). Siegert CE., Kazatchkine MD., SjoUholm A., WuUrzner R., Loos M., Daha MR. Autoantibodies against C1q: view on clinical relevance and pathogenic roles. Clin Exp Immunol. 1999. 116:4–8.
Article
17). Uwatoko S., Aotsuka S., Okawa M., Egusa Y., Yokohari R., Aizawa C, et al. Characterization of C1q-binding IgG complexes in systemic lupus erythematosus. Clin Immunol Immunopathol. 1984. 30:104–16.
Article
18). Moroni G., Trendelenburg M., Del Papa N., Quaglini S., Raschi E., Panzeri P, et al. Anti-C1q Antibodies May Help in Diagnosing a Renal Flare in Lupus Nephritis. Am J Kidney Dis. 2001. 37:490–8.
Article
19). Mosca M., Chimenti D., Pratesi F., Baldini C., Anzilotti C., Bombardieri S, et al. Prevalence and Clinicoserological Correlations of anti-aL-endolase, anti-C1q, and anti-dsDNA antibodies in patients with SLE. J Rheumatol. 2006. 33:695–7.
20). Sabbatini A., Dolcher MP., Marchini B., Chimenti D., Moscato S., Pratesi F, et al. Alpha-endolase is a renal-specific antigen associated with kidney involvement in mixed cryoglobulinemia. Clin Exp Rheumatol. 1997. 15:655–8.
21). Carvalho D., Savage CO., Isenberg D., Pearson JD. IgG anti-endothelial cell autoantibodies from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus or systemic vasculitis stimulate the release of two endothelial cell-derived mediators which enhance adhesion molecule expression and leukocyte adhesion in an autocrine manner. Arthritis Rheum. 1999. 42:631–40.
Article
22). Papa ND., Raschi E., Moroni G., Panzeri P., Borghi MO., Ponticelli C, et al. Anti-endothelial cell IgG fractions from systemic lupus erythematosus patients bind to human endothelial cells and induce a pro-adhesive and a pro-inflammatory phenotype in vitro. Lupus. 1999. 8:423–9.
Full Text Links
  • JKRA
Actions
Cited
CITED
export Copy
Close
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Similar articles
Copyright © 2024 by Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors. All rights reserved.     E-mail: koreamed@kamje.or.kr