Relationship between Anti-Ds-DNA Antibodies and Abnormal Kidney Function Tests in Patients with Lupus Nephritis

Abstract

The majority of patients with Lupus Nephritis (LN) usually have abnormal findings of kidney function tests. Severe glomerular damage may be observed in some patients and requires prompt therapeutic interventions. High titer levels of anti-ds-DNA antibodies may correlate to some extent with disease activity in lupus nephritis patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between anti-ds-DNA antibody titers and abnormal kidney function tests in patients with lupus nephritis. A total of seventy patients with lupus nephritis and fifty healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Blood samples were collected and labeled from study patients and controls for certain hematological, biochemical and immunological investigations. Anti-ds-DNA antibodies were tested by using IgG-ELISA test. It was shown that 74% of lupus nephritis patients showed positive results for anti-ds-DNA antibodies in their serum specimens (p-value <0.01). Sensitivity and specificity of the anti-ds-DNA antibody test for the diagnosis of lupus nephritis were 74 and 100%, respectively. Anaemia, hypoalbuminemia, fasting hyperglycemia and elevated blood urea nitrogen were significantly associated with lupus nephritis activity. Further studies are required to study genomic and unprecedented biomarkers associated with anti-ds-DNA antibodies in patients with lupus nephritis to develop our perception of this autoimmune disease.