Table 1 Urinary biomarkers in lupus nephritis
Urinary marker | Function | Patient cohort | Main findings |
|---|---|---|---|
Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) [7] | Chemokine, particularly for monocyte | 25 adult patients with renal flare | Urinary MCP-1 predicted flare by 2 to 4 months and slowly fell following treatment |
Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) [8] | Antimicrobial protein and siderophore | 35 paediatric patients, 18 with renal disease | Urinary NGAL associated with renal disease and chronic damage (90% sensitivity). Not as strongly associated in adult patients |
Hepcidin [9] | Antimicrobial protein and siderophore | 19 adult patients with renal flares. Urine assessed using proteomics | Urinary hepcidin predicted flare by 4 months and reduced with treatment |
Endothelin-1 (ET-1) [10] | Vasoconstrictor, with roles in inflammation and fibrosis | 10 adult patients with lupus nephritis | Fractional excretion of ET-1 correlated with lupus nephritis and fell with treatment |
TNF-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) [1] | Proinflammatory cytokine. May be involved in resolution of injury | 30 patients with lupus nephritis, 13 lupus nephritis patients in a longitudinal study | Urinary TWEAK correlated with lupus nephritis disease activity and fell with treatment |