APRIL, a proliferation-inducing ligand, as a potential marker of lupus nephritis

Table 1 Patient characteristic at baseline.

	Active LN* (n= 47)
Age, years
Mean ± SE	32.90 ± 1.29
Range, years	26-39
Sex, number
Female	50 (96)
Duration of SLE, years
Mean ± SE	5.90 ± 0.62
Renal-SLEDAI score‡
Median	12
Range	8-12
Prednisone use, number (%)	47 (90)
Median dosage, mg/day	16.00
Dosage range, mg/day	7.5-50
Immunosuppressive drug use
Intravenous methylprednisolone	3
Intravenous cyclophosphamide	6
Mycophenolate mofetil	6
Azathioprine	1
Hydroxychloroquine	2
Extrarenal manifestation, number (%)	12 (23)
BLyS, ng/ml^a	1.32 ± 0.15
APRIL, ng/ml^a	4.10 ± 0.30
Serum creatinine, mg/dl	1.06 ± 0.08
Proteinuria, g/day Urinary erythrocyte count, per high power field	3.59 ± 0.31 50.84 ± 11.96
Immunological parameters ^a
C3 (normal range: 70-140 mg/dL)	60.86 ± 6.05,
ANA, titer	731.20 ± 606.29
Anti-dsDNA, titer	351.74 ± 73.76
Histological parameters
Activity score	7.83 ± 0.70
Chronicity score	3.01 ± 0.37

*Includes only lupus nephritis class III or IV by ISN/RPS 2003 criteria, ‡ renal-SLEDAI (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Score) uses four endpoints as follows: UPCI or 24-hour urine protein ≥0.5 g/day, urinary RBCs ≥5/HPF, urinary WBCs ≥5/HPF and urinary cellular casts ≥1/HPF; and the maximal point was set at 16. ^aData are expressed as mean ± SE. ANA, antinuclear antibody; APRIL, a proliferation-inducing ligand; BlyS, B lymphocyte activation protein; HPF, high power field; LN, lupus nephritis; RBC, red blood cells; SLE, systemic lupus erythematous; WBC, white blood cells.

ISSN: 1478-6362