Urine Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-۱(UMCP-۱) as a Biomarker of Renal Involvement in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Objective(s)Lupus nephritis (LN) is frequently associated with a poor long-term prognosis. Renal biopsy is the diagnostic method of choice in this condition. Urine biomarkers have been mentioned in the diagnosis of LN. The study,s purpose was to evaluate the performance of urinary monocyte chemoattractant protein ۱(UMCP-۱) as a biomarker of renal involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus.Materials and MethodsForty-one recently diagnosed systemic lupus erythematosus patients (۸ male and ۳۳ female) without renal involvement (group ۱) and twenty six patients (۸ male and ۱۸ female) with LN (group ۲), proven by biopsy, were recruited to this study. UMCP-۱ sensitivity and specificity for identifying biopsy-proven nephritis were calculated, and a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed to quantify how definitely UMCP-۱ distinguishes between patients with and without LN.ResultsThe mean value of UMCP-۱ levels were ۷۳۳.۰۷ pg/ml ± ۱۲۸۲.۵۴ and ۱۴۴.۱۶ pg/ml ± ۱۳۷.۹۰ in patients with and without LN respectively. The UMCP-۱ level was significantly higher in group ۲ than group ۱. There was no significant correlation between UMCP-۱ and ۲۴-hour urine protein (r = ۰.۰۳۱, P= ۰.۸۷۴). The area under the ROC curve was ۰.۷۲۷ with a CI ۹۵% of ۰.۵۹۷ to ۰.۸۵۷ (P=۰.۰۰۲). Using a cut-off value of ۸۲ pg/ml,UMCP-۱ had a sensitivity of ۸۸.۵% and a specificity of ۴۶.۳% for identifying LN.ConclusionUMCP-۱ can serve as a biomarker of LN although further longitudinal studies of these biomarkers are required in LN.

Keywords:

Lupus nephritis , Monocyte chemoattractant protein ۱ , systemic lupus erythematosus , Urine