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The role of osteopontin as a candidate biomarker of renal involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

 

  1. Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Specialità Mediche, Reumatologia, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy. francescaromana.spinelli@uniroma1.it
  2. Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Specialità Mediche, Reumatologia, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
  3. Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Specialità Mediche, Reumatologia, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
  4. Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Specialità Mediche, Reumatologia, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
  5. Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Specialità Mediche, Reumatologia, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
  6. Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Specialità Mediche, Reumatologia, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
  7. Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Specialità Mediche, Reumatologia, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
  8. Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Specialità Mediche, Reumatologia, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
  9. Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Specialità Mediche, Reumatologia, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
  10. Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Specialità Mediche, Reumatologia, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.

CER11676
2019 Vol.37, N°6
PI 0899, PF 0905
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PMID: 31074728 [PubMed]

Received: 29/08/2018
Accepted : 17/12/2018
In Press: 10/05/2019
Published: 28/11/2019

Abstract

OBJECTIVES:
Kidney biopsy is the gold standard for the diagnosis of lupus nephritis (LN). Conventional biomarkers of disease activity or renal function, such as complement levels, anti-dsDNA, serum creatinine, urinary sediment and proteinuria, do not have a sensitive diagnostic and prognostic value, therefore new biomarkers are needed to help predict or monitor LN. Osteopontin (OPN) is a pro-inflammatory molecule detectable in serum and renal tissue. The aim of this study was to evaluate OPN as a biomarker of renal involvement in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and correlate its levels with disease activity and laboratory features.
METHODS:
OPN was measured in the serum and urine of SLE patients with active LN (n=14), LN in remission (n=20), SLE without kidney involvement (n=22) and age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC, n=20).
RESULTS:
OPN levels were significantly higher in urine than in serum in both groups of patients and controls (p<0.001). Serum OPN levels were higher in the LN patients than in HC and in SLE patients without renal involvement (p<0.0001 and 0.0032, respectively), regardless of the phase of renal activity. SLE patients without renal involvement and controls showed similar serum levels. We detected a direct correlation between low complement levels and OPN serum levels in patients with LN (p=0.014; R=0.438). Moreover, a higher percentage of patients with LN, compared to SLE without LN and HC, showed abnormal serum OPN.
CONCLUSIONS:
Our data suggest that serum OPN could be considered a biomarker of renal involvement, without differentiating between active and remission LN.

Rheumatology Article