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Lupus nephritis (LN) is the main manifestation of systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). MicroRNAs (miRNAs) and autoantibodies could be suitable candidate biomarkers of LN. This study evaluates the expression of circulating miR-148a and miR-126 along with anti-dsDNA, anti-C1q, and anti-C3b autoantibodies in SLE patients with LN (SLE + LN). 30 women with SLE, 30 women with SLE + LN, and 25 women as healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled in this study. The plasma expression of selected miRNAs was evaluated by real-time PCR. The serum level of anti-dsDNA, C1q, and C3b antibodies was measured by the ELISA. The expression of miR-148a was significantly increased in SLE and SLE+LN groups compared with the control group. No significant difference was found in the expression of miR-126 among the groups. The frequency of autoantibodies was significantly higher in the SLE + LN group than SLE. The Higher levels of circulating miR-148a in the SLE samples compared with the HCs suggest that this miRNA could be a reliable biomarker for SLE patients (with or without LN). Also, autoantibodies against dsDNA, C1q, and, C3 could be used for the prediction of SLE nephritis, independently. However, further studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Lupus Nephritis (LN) in patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is one of the most serious and prevalent manifestations. The procedure of renal biopsy is harmful and accompanied by potential hazards. Therefore, introducing reliable biomarkers to predict LN is exceedingly worthwhile. In the present study, we compared the diagnostic values of circulating autoantibodies against dsDNA, C1q, C3b, SSA, SSB, and Sm alone or in combination to predict LN. This study evaluated the abovementioned autoantibodies in 40 healthy controls (HCs) and 95 SLE patients with different kidney involvements, including absent (n = 40), inactive (n = 20), and active (n = 35) LN using EIA method. The frequency and odds ratio of anti-dsDNA (71.4%, OR = 4.2), anti-C1q (62.9%, OR = 5.1), and the simultaneous existence of anti-C1q and anti-dsDNA (51.4%, OR = 6) antibodies were significantly higher in the active LN group compared with both inactive and absent LN groups. Moreover, the levels of anti-C1q and anti-dsDNA antibodies positively correlated with disease activity in patients with SLE. The prevalence of these autoantibodies was associated with the severity of LN biopsies. These data suggest that anti-C1q and anti-dsDNA antibodies and also their simultaneous presence may be valuable diagnostic biomarkers for LN prediction in patients with SLE.

Aim: Lupus nephritis (LN) is a severe complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). There is a great interest in using microRNAs (miRNAs) as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in autoimmune diseases., Materials and Methods: This study evaluated miR-16, miR-21, miR-141, miR-146a, and miR-155 expression levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 55 female SLE patients with absent, inactive, or active nephritis, and 30 healthy controls (HCs) using quantitative polymerase chain reaction., Results: MiR-21 and miR-155 levels were significantly greater in the active nephritis group than in the absent, inactive or HC groups. Moreover, receiver operating characteristic and logistic regression analyses revealed miR-21 and miR-155 were significant risk factors for LN., Conclusion: Overexpression of miR-21 and miR-155 in PBMCs may participate in LN pathophysiology and these miRNAs could be used as biomarkers for the condition., (© 2018 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)