title: Serum level of soluble fibrinogen-like protein 2 in renal allograft recipients with acute rejection: a preliminary study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Soluble fibrinogen-like protein 2 (sfgl2), which is mainly secreted by T cells, is a novel effector of regulatory T cells with immunosuppressive functions. The aim of this study was to investigate serum levels of sfgl2 among renal allograft recipients.
  
  
  METHODS
  From November 2010 to August 2011 we retrospectively divided 47 renal allograft recipients into an acute rejection (n = 19) versus a stable group (n = 28) according to allograft biopsy results, using the Banff 2007 classification. The acute rejection group was subdivided into grade I (n = 8) versus grade II T-cell-mediated (n = 6) or antibody-mediated rejection episodes (n = 5). Peripheral blood samples were collected at the time of biopsy. Fourteen healthy volunteers were included as normal group controls. Serum levels of sfgl2 were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum levels of sfgl2 were increased among renal allograft recipients suffering from biopsy-proven acute rejection episodes (61.91 ± 45.68 ng/mL), versus those with stable allografts (38.59 ± 19.92 ng/mL, P < .05) or healthy volunteers (29.10 ± 18.08 ng/mL, P < .05). The sfgl2 level was significantly higher among patients with antibody-mediated (118.48 ± 55.54 ng/mL) than T-cell-mediated acute rejection episodes (41.71 ± 16.44 ng/mL, P < .01). Serum sfgl2 levels were remarkably elevated in patients with grade II (51.87 ± 19.13 ng/mL) versus grade I T-cell-mediated rejection (34.10 ± 9.26 ng/mL, P < .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum sfgl2 levels were increased among renal allograft recipients with acute rejection episodes to an extent dependent upon the pathological type and severity of the response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, PR China.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Q
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rong
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000032:analysis*; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C095202:FGL2 protein, human; D005340:Fibrinogen