Usefulness of complement split product, Bb, as a clinical marker for disease activity of lupus nephritis.
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.
Watanabe
Hiroshi
H
Department of Internal Medicine II, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan. chiehiro@fmu.ac.jp
Noguchi
Etsuko
E
Shio
Kiori
K
Iwadate
Haruyo
H
Kobayashi
Hiroko
H
Ohira
Hiromasa
H
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
D015415:Biomarkers; D003176:Complement C3; D011415:Complement Factor B