Association of serum and urine TWEAK with lupus nephritis activity and its underlying mechanism / 安徽医科大学学报

ABSTRACT

Objective To discuss the expression of tumor necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis ( TWEAK) in serum, urine and renal tissue in lupus nephritis( LN) . Methods The serum and urine levels of TWEAK were assessed by ELISA in LN patients and normal controls. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expressions of TWEAK in the kidney of patients and healthy controls. Results The serum and urine concentrations of TWEAK and MCP-1 were significantly higher in LN patients than those in healthy controls(P<0. 01). In addition,the level of serum TWEAK showed positive correlation with SLEDAI and negative correlation with serum C3 level ( P <0. 01),the expression of urine TWEAK showed positive correlation with SLEDAI (P<0. 05). In healthy renal tis-sues TWEAK was distributed mainly in renal tubules and rarely seen in glomerular while the expressions of TWEAK increased in renal tubular and glomeruli stainings were found in LN paitients. TWEAK could induce increased mac-rophage migration, may be involved in the pathological progression of lupus nephritis. Conclusion TWEAK may play key roles in the pathogenesis of LN. Meanwhile, TWEAK in serum and urine may be useful as markers of dis-ease activity. The change of TWEAK maybe associated with the pathology category of LN.