title: Serum BAFF and APRIL might be associated with disease activity and kidney damage in patients with anti-glomerular basement membrane disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  B cell activating factor belonging to the tumour necrosis factor family (BAFF) and a proliferation inducing ligand (APRIL) are two tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-like cytokines that were found to be elevated in many autoimmune diseases. Anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) disease is a typical severe autoimmune disease characterized by raised serum anti-GBM antibodies. In this study we aimed to detect the serum levels of BAFF and APRIL in patients with anti-GBM disease, and their clinical significance was further analyzed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-seven patients with anti-GBM disease were enrolled in this study. Forty-eight healthy individuals were used as normal controls. The levels of serum BAFF and APRIL were assessed using commercially available enzyme linked immunosorbent assay kits. The association between the levels of serum BAFF and APRIL, and the clinical and pathological parameters were further evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The serum levels of BAFF and APRIL in patients with anti-GBM disease were significantly higher than that in normal controls (12.3 ± 14.1 ng/mL vs. 0.9 ± 0.3 ng/mL, P < 0.001; 19.1 ± 22.9 ng/mL vs. 1.6 ± 4.6 ng/mL, P < 0.001), respectively. The levels of serum APRIL were correlated with the titres of anti-GBM antibodies (r = 0.347, P = 0.041), and the levels of serum BAFF were associated with the percentage of glomeruli with crescents (r = 0.482, P = 0.015) in patients with anti-GBM disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The levels of serum BAFF and APRIL were raised in patients with anti-GBM disease and might be associated with disease activity and kidney damage.
authors: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, China.
authors: Gang
authors: G
authors: Xin
authors: Zhao
authors: Z
authors: Cui
authors: Yun
authors: Y
authors: Su
authors: Li-Xia
authors: LX
authors: Xu
authors: Ming-Hui
authors: MH
authors: Zhao
authors: Kang-Sheng
authors: KS
authors: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019867:Anti-Glomerular Basement Membrane Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001706:Biopsy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D053300:Tumor Necrosis Factor Ligand Superfamily Member 13 / Q000097:blood*; D015854:Up-Regulation; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor; D015415:Biomarkers; C114631:TNFSF13 protein, human; C505719:TNFSF13B protein, human; D053300:Tumor Necrosis Factor Ligand Superfamily Member 13; C051951:antiglomerular basement membrane antibody