Correlation between the renal C1q deposition and serum anti-C1q antibody: a potential role of anti-C1q antibody in lupus nephritis.
The anti-C1q antibody has been shown to be associated with lupus patients with renal involvement. We conducted a study to determine the relationship between the serum anti-C1q titer and the renal deposition of C1q. The serum anti-C1q was measured in 26 healthy controls and 47 systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients who were divided into 2 groups as non-nephritis and nephritis SLE. We analyzed the relationship between the anti-C1q titers and SLE, renal C1q staining and the WHO classification for lupus nephritis. The result revealed that the serum anti-C1q was present in 50.8% of the SLE patients, that its levels in those with renal involvement were significantly higher than in the normal control group (61.540 +/- 87.720 U/ml vs 15.750 +/- 2.530 U/ml, p = 0.005). Besides, the serum anti-C1q levels were higher in the patients with lupus nephritis with C1q deposition in the kidney tissue (66.038 +/- 91.141 U/ml vs 16.652 +/- 3.097 U/ml, p < 0.01). There seems to be evidence supporting that the autoantibody anti-C1q might play a pathogenic role in lupus nephritis.
Section of Allergy, Immunology, and Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chi-Mei Medical Center, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
Pei-Chih
PC
Chen
Chrong-Reen
CR
Wang
Ming-Fei
MF
Liu
Fen-Fen
FF
Chen
Chun-Ching
CC
Liang
D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D015922:Complement C1q / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D008181:Lupus Nephritis / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male
D001323:Autoantibodies; D015922:Complement C1q