Case Reports
Clinical significance of complement as a biomarker of disease activity in 4 cases of IgG4-related disease with retroperitoneal fibrosis
M. Kihara, T. Sugihara, T. Hosoya, N. Miyasaka
CER6433
2013 Vol.31, N°6
PI 0947, PF 0949
Case Reports
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PMID: 24021494 [PubMed]
Received: 11/03/2013
Accepted : 30/05/2013
In Press: 10/09/2013
Published: 20/12/2013
Abstract
Hypocomplementaemia is frequently observed in IgG4-related diseases, however the clinical significance is unclear. We describe herein the clinical courses of 4 patients with IgG4-related disease with hypocomplementaemia. Our cases showed autoimmune pancreatitis, retroperitoneal fibrosis, Mikulicz`s disease, interstitial lung disease, lymphadenopathy and mesenteric fibrosis around the aorta. A decrease in serum complement preceded deterioration of the disease and clinical improvement was observed in accordance with normalisation of serum complement. These clinical courses suggest that serum complement is a biomarker of the disease activity.