Evaluation of visfatin in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: Correlation with disease activity and lupus nephritis

• Published in: Egyptian rheumatologist 2012-01, Vol.34 (1), p.9-17
• Main Authors: Fouda, Neveen, Abaza, Nouran, El-Hilaly, Rana, El Said, Heba W., EL-kabarity, Rania H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Lupus nephritis; Systemic lupus erythematosus; Visfatin
• ISSN: 1110-1164; 2090-2433
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ejr.2011.09.002

Renal involvement affects about 50% of SLE patients accounting for significant morbidity and mortality in these patients. The adipokine “visfatin” acting as a growth factor for B-lymphocyte-precursors, exerts several proinflammatory functions. It was demonstrated as a marker of endothelial dysfunction (ED) in chronic kidney disease (CKD) thus could be a factor linking inflammation in SLE and kidney disease. To assess serum visfatin level in SLE patients and its correlation to disease activity and lupus nephritis (LN) in these patients. Serum level of visfatin using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), chemical and immunological markers of SLE and LN were measured in 40 SLE patients and 40 age and sex matched healthy controls. Disease activity and renal involvement were assessed using SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) and Renal SLEDAI respectively further dividing patients into active versus inactive and LN versus non-LN respectively. Renal biopsies were taken from LN subgroup and were classified according to the modified WHO classification. A significantly higher serum visfatin level was found on comparing SLE patients (mean 109±180ng/ml, median18) with controls (mean 9.4±11ng/ml, median2.5) with statistically highly significant difference (z=5.2, P