title: Plasma melatonin levels do not differ in SLE patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to investigate the plasma melatonin levels in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and its relationship with clinical and laboratory features.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 90 patients with SLE (82 females, 8 males; mean age 37.86 ± 13.98 years, range 19-77 years) and 90 healthy controls (82 females, 8 male; mean age 36.54 ± 10.89 years, range 22-60 years) were recruited for the current study. Plasma melatonin levels were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Melatonin levels were not significantly different in the plasma of patients with SLE compared with controls (P = 0.026). There was no significant difference regarding plasma melatonin level between SLE patients with nephritis and those without nephritis (P = 0.714); no significant difference was found between less active SLE and more active SLE (P = 0.791). The presence of IgM was associated with melatonin levels (P = 0.031) in SLE patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is no significant difference in plasma melatonin levels between SLE patients and controls. Further studies are needed to elucidate the role of melatonin in SLE.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, 230032, Hefei, Anhui, China.|Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Population Health & Major Disease Screening and Diagnosis, Hefei, Anhui, China.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, 230032, Hefei, Anhui, China.|Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Population Health & Major Disease Screening and Diagnosis, Hefei, Anhui, China.
authors.forename: H-M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, 230032, Hefei, Anhui, China.|Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Population Health & Major Disease Screening and Diagnosis, Hefei, Anhui, China.
authors.forename: Y-F
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Anhui Provincial Hospital, Hefei, China.
authors.forename: J-H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, 230032, Hefei, Anhui, China. panhaifeng1982@sina.com.|Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Population Health & Major Disease Screening and Diagnosis, Hefei, Anhui, China. panhaifeng1982@sina.com.
authors.forename: H-F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Pan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood; D008181:Lupus Nephritis / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D008550:Melatonin
keywords: Autoimmune diseases; Autoimmunity; Lupus nephritis; Melatonin; Systemic lupus erythematosus