title: The association between autoantibodies and peripheral neuropathy in lupus nephritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The sensitivity and specificity of biomarkers used for predicting peripheral neuropathy in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and nephritis (SLE-LN) remain unsatisfactory. This study aimed to determine the autoantibodies levels in SLE-LN patients with peripheral neuropathy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data of 559 SLE-LN patients were collected retrospectively, including titers of autoantibodies, electrodiagnostic studies, and clinical manifestations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The neurologic manifestations of the SLE-LN patients were diverse and nonspecific. The prevalence rate of peripheral polyneuropathy was 2.68%, of which about 73.33% was mixed sensory-motor polyneuropathy. Numbness and functional gastrointestinal problems were the most prevalent symptoms and these were noted in every subtype of peripheral neuropathy. Among all the serology markers, anti-Ro was significantly associated with neuropathy related to SLE (P = 0.009).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Peripheral neuropathy among LN patients is rare and may be easily overlooked. This study demonstrated that positive anti-Ro antibody may imply neuropathy in LN patients. Thus, anti-Ro can be considered a biomarker that should be added to the panel of conventional autoantibodies in LN patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan ; Department of Biological Science, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Jih
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chi-Ren
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wen-Neng
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Nai-Wen
authors.initials: NW
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chia-Te
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Kung
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wei-Che
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chih-Cheng
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Science, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan ; Department of Emergency Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chih-Min
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan ; Department of Biological Science, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ben-Chung
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Science, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan ; Department of Neurology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ya-Ting
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Science, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan ; Department of Neurology, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 833, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Cheng-Hsien
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D003710:Demography; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008181:Lupus Nephritis / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies