Correlation between serum levels of soluble fas [CD95/Apo-1] with disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus patients in Khorasan, Iran

ABSTRACT

Soluble Fas [sFas] is a marker of apoptosis that appears to increase in the serum of systemic lupus erythematosus patients and may have a correlation with disease activity. The exact role of sFas in apoptosis is not clear. The purpose of this study is to assess the correlation between serum levels of soluble Fas [Apo/1-CD95] and the activity of systemic lupus erythematosus. Our study was performed on 114 systemic lupus erythematosus patients who were compared with 50 randomly selected sex, age and race-matched healthy controls. Disease activity was defined according to the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index [SLEDAI-2K]. All physical exams and laboratory parameters were collected to determine the SLEDAI. sFas levels were determined using a commercially available ELISA kit. There was a significant difference between serum levels of sFas in the case and control groups [P=0.001]. A significant correlation coefficient existed between the sFas and SLEDAI2K variables [P=0.001, r=0.494]. Significant statistical difference was found between serum levels of sFas in the active and inactive phases of disease according to SLEDAI< 9 or >10, [P=0.002]. The sFas levels were 270 - 300 pg/mL for SLEDAI<9 and 355-502 pg/mL for SLEDAI>10, with a confidence interval of 95%. This study shows a significant elevation of sFas levels in the sera of systemic lupus erythematosus patients with active disease; therefore it can be used as an appropriate marker for evaluation of disease activity