title: Usefulness of complement split product, Bb, as a clinical marker for disease activity of lupus nephritis.
abstract: To evaluate the usefulness of Bb, a split product of complement factor B, as a clinical marker for disease activity of lupus nephritis, we measured the Bb concentration of sera from 42 patients with lupus nephritis. Serum Bb levels were significantly higher in patients with active nephritis (active nephritis group, n= 30) than in patients with nephritis in remission (remission group, n=12) (14.3+/-8.3 versus 7.4+/-5.9 microg/ml; p = 0.012). In contrast, there was no significant difference in serum C3 levels between active nephritis group and remission group (42.5+/-20.9 versus 44.7+/-15.9 mg/dl ; p = 0.77). In the comparison of Bb levels between active nephritis group and remission group, the sensitivity was 66.6%, specificity was 83.3%, and the positive and negative likelihood ratios were 3.95% and 0.41%, respectively. The present results suggest that serum Bb level is a useful clinical marker for disease activity in lupus nephritis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine II, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan. chiehiro@fmu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Etsuko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Noguchi
authors.forename: Kiori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shio
authors.forename: Haruyo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iwadate
authors.forename: Hiroko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Hiromasa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohira
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers; D003176:Complement C3 / Q000032:analysis; D011415:Complement Factor B / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008181:Lupus Nephritis / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D014944:World Health Organization
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D003176:Complement C3; D011415:Complement Factor B