Serum and urinary interleukin-6 and serum interleukin-1 receptor antagonist in renal involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus

This study included 45 systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE] patients and 15 age and sex matched controls. All patients [3 males and 42 females] met the revised ACR criteria for the diagnosis of SLE, their ages ranged from 11-50 years. Each patient was subjected to complete history, clinical examination and laboratory investigations including complete blood count, complete urine analysis, 24 hours total urinary protein excretion, erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR], Coombs test, blood urea, creatinine clearance, anti-nuclear antibodies [ANA], anti- dsDNA IgG antibodies, C-reactive protein [CRP], serum and urinary interleukin-6 [sIL-6 and uIL-6], serum interleukin-1 receptor antagonist [sIL-1 ra], complement [C3 and C4] and renal biopsy. SLE disease activity was measured by systemic lupus activity measure [SLAM]. SLE patients were classified into two groups [renal and non- renal group]; in addition, the renal group was subdivided into two subgroups [active lupus nephritis [ALN] and inactive lupus nephritis [EN]]. The study concluded that urinary IL-6 may reveal the pathological changes more sensitively. Adding the measurement of uIL-6 level to the conventional prognostic indices of lupus nephritis may improve the ability to accurately predict the outcome in patients with lupus nephritis. Low serum concentration of IL-1 ra, low serum level of both CRP and circulating C3 in renal group appear to be markers of kidney involvement

Rheumatic manifestations and autoimmune profile in hepatitis C virus infected patients

The objective of this study was to determine the occurrence and frequency of rheumatic manifestations and serological markers of autoimmunity in HCV patients and the correlation of rheumatic manifestations with liver affection and autoimmune profile. Seventy-five patients [50 males and 25 females] with anti-HCV antibodies and 25 controls [16 males and 9 females] with no anti-HCV antibodies were studied. The mean age of the studied patients was 46.5 years +/- 10.8 [ranged from 26 - 70 years]. They were subjected to full history, thorough clinical examination and radiological and laboratory investigations. Autoimmune profile cryoglobulin, rheumatoid factor [RF], antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies [perinuclear and cytoplasmic, PANCA and CANCA], antinuclear antibodies [ANA], antismooth muscles antibodies [ASM], anticardiolipin antibodies IgG, ImG and IgA [ACLIgG, ACLIgM and ALCIgA], anti-liver kidney microsomal antibodies [LKM-1], anti Ro and La antibodies, polymerase chain reaction [PCR-RNA] and complement -3 and 4 [C3, C4] were tested. In conclusion, a high frequency of rheumatic manifestations and autoimmune markers in HCV infected patients was found. An investigation of risk factors for HCV infection is pertinent in a patient presenting new rheumatic manifestations. The most frequent mode of rheumatic illness in patients with HCV is dry eye and or dry mouth [Sjogren syndrome]. Hence, it is better to do ELISA as routine investigation in patients with dry eye and or dry mouth