Efficacy of tacrolimus combined with irbesartan in treating female patients with lupus nephritis and the effect on serum levels of HMGB1 and RAGE

Haihong YAN; Yunsheng LI; Yingjie KE; Zaiyou DAI

ABSTRACT

Objective:

To investigate the efficacy of tacrolimus combined with irbesartan in treating female patients with lupus nephritis and its effect on serum levels of high mobility protein B1(HMGB1) and receptor for advanced glycation products(RAGE).

Methods:

Sixty female patients with lupus nephritis admitted to the First People's Hospital of Wenling from January 2018 to May 2019 were included and divided into control group and observation group according to the random number table method, with 30 cases in each group.The control group received tacrolimus.The observation group was treated with irbesartan on the basis of the control group.After 6 months of continuous treatment, the renal function, scores of lupus nephritis activity index(SLE-DAI) and chronic disease index(SLE-CI), the efficacy, and serum levels of HMGB1 and RAGE were compared between the two groups.

Results:

Compared with the control group, the serum levels of creatinine(SCr)[(76.46±9.09)μmol/L], urea nitrogen(BUN)[(6.71±0.88)mmol/L], 24h urinary protein quantification[(1.38±0.21)g/24h], scores of SLE-DAI[(9.09±1.41)points] and SLE-CI[(1.17±0.17)points] were significantly reduced in the observation group after treatment, and the plasma albumin(Alb)[(35.08±5.11)g/L] and estimated glomerular filtration rate(eGFR)[(57.79±6.94)mL/min] were significantly increased (all P<0.01). The total effective rates of the observation group and the control group were 90.00% and 63.33%, respectively, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant(χ 2=4.565, P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the serum levels of HMGB1[(52.31±7.13)μg/L] and RAGE[(1.11±0.18)μg/L] in the observation group were significantly reduced after treatment(all P<0.01).

Conclusion:

The efficacy of tacrolimus combined with irbesartan in the treatment of female patients with lupus nephritis is significant, and it can inhibit serum levels of HMGB1 and RAGE.