title: Novel biomarkers for the assessment of paediatric systemic lupus erythematosus nephritis.
abstract: The discovery of serum biomarkers specific for paediatric lupus nephritis (pLN) will facilitate the non-invasive diagnosis, follow-up and more appropriate use of treatment. The aim of this study was to explore the role of serum high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) protein, antibodies against nucleosomes (anti-NCS), complement factor C1q (anti-C1q) and glomerular basement membrane (anti-GBM) in pLN. Serum samples of 42 patients with paediatric systemic lupus erythematosus (pSLE) (22 with pLN and 20 without renal involvement), 15 patients with other autoimmune nephritis (AN) and 26 healthy controls (HCs) were examined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The activity of both pSLE and pLN was assessed by the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) tool. The levels of all four biomarkers were significantly higher in pLN compared to AN and to HCs. The anti-NCS, anti-GBM and HMGB1 serum levels were significantly higher in pLN than in pSLE without renal involvement. The anti-C1q and the HMGB1 serum levels were correlated positively with pSLE activity. The HMGB1 serum levels were also correlated positively with pLN activity. These findings suggest that serum anti-NCS, anti-GBM and HMGB1 may serve as biomarkers specific for the presence of nephritis in pSLE. HMGB1 emerged as a useful biomarker for the assessment of pLN and pSLE activity, whereas anti-C1q only of pSLE activity.
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Pediatrics, Aristotle University, 'Hippokration' General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koutsonikoli
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Pediatrics, Aristotle University, 'Hippokration' General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trachana
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Pediatrics, Aristotle University, 'Hippokration' General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Farmaki
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Pediatrics, Aristotle University, 'Hippokration' General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tzimouli
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Pediatrics, Aristotle University, 'Hippokration' General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pratsidou-Gertsi
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Pediatrics, Aristotle University, 'Hippokration' General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Printza
authors.affiliation: 4th Department of Internal Medicine, Aristotle University, 'Hippokration' General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Garyphallos
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, 'Papageorgiou' General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Galanopoulou
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Pediatrics, Aristotle University, 'Hippokration' General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kanakoudi-Tsakalidou
authors.affiliation: 1st Department of Pediatrics, Aristotle University, 'Hippokration' General Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Papachristou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015922:Complement C1q / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D024243:HMGB1 Protein / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008181:Lupus Nephritis / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D015415:Biomarkers; D024243:HMGB1 Protein; C051951:antiglomerular basement membrane antibody; D015922:Complement C1q
keywords: autoantibodies; biomarkers; paediatric lupus nephritis