title: Anti-C1q antibodies as a follow-up marker in SLE patients.
abstract: In cross-sectional studies autoantibodies against complement C1q (anti-C1q) were found to be highly associated with active lupus nephritis. The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the value of anti-C1q as follow-up marker of disease activity and renal involvement in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Fifty-two patients with SLE and a minimum of three anti-C1q measurements during follow-up were analyzed. Anti-C1q levels correlated with global disease activity scores. In subgroup analyses, patients without renal involvement did not show a significant correlation between anti-C1q levels and disease activity. In contrast, in patients with renal involvement, anti-C1q levels correlated well with global disease activity. In addition, a positive correlation with the urine protein-to-creatinine ratio and anti-dsDNA antibody levels as well as a negative correlation with complement levels was observed. Anti-C1q antibodies were found to strongly correlate with parameters of SLE disease activity during follow-up, in particular with regard to renal involvement.
authors.affiliation: Division of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Merete
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bock
authors.affiliation: Division of Medical Immunology, Department of Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Ingmar
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Heijnen
authors.affiliation: Division of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Marten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trendelenburg
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D015922:Complement C1q / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D015415:Biomarkers; D015922:Complement C1q