Rheumatology Advance Access originally published online on January 30, 2009
Rheumatology 2009 48(4):355-358; doi:10.1093/rheumatology/ken500
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Circulating neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin: a useful biomarker for assessing disease activity of ANCA-associated vasculitis
1Department of Medicine, Renal Division, Peking University First Hospital, Institute of Nephrology, Peking University, Key Laboratory of Renal Disease, Ministry of Health of China, Beijing, China.
Correspondence to: Min Chen, Department of Medicine, Renal Division, Peking University First Hospital, Institute of Nephrology, Peking University, Key Laboratory of Renal Disease, Ministry of Health of China, Beijing 100034, China. E-mail: leimeng{at}public3.bta.net.cn
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Abstract |
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Objectives. Biomarkers for assessing disease activity of patients with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV) are important in identifying relapse and guiding treatment. ANCA-induced neutrophil activation and degranulation played an important role in the pathogenesis of AAV and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a biomarker of neutrophil degranulation. The purpose of the current study is to investigate whether NGAL is a useful biomarker for assessing disease activity of patients with AAV.
Methods. Sequential sera from 19 patients with AAV at initial onset, remission and relapse were collected. Serum NGAL was detected using commercial ELISA kits. The association between serum NGAL and the Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score (BVAS), ESR, CRP as well as serum ANCA was further investigated.
Results. The 19 patients had 19 relapses. The levels of serum NGAL in patients at initial onset and relapse were both significantly higher than that at remission (285.5 ± 65.5 ng/ml vs 96.7 ± 22.2 ng/ml, P < 0.05; 430.3 ± 98.7 ng/ml vs 96.7 ± 22.2 ng/ml, P < 0.05, respectively). It was still the case after adjusting for renal function. The levels of serum NGAL closely correlated with BVAS as well as the level of ESR, CRP and ANCA. Moreover, serum NGAL level had a closer correlation with BVAS than ESR, CRP and ANCA did.
Conclusion. Circulating NGAL could be used as a useful biomarker for assessing disease activity of patients with AAV.
KEY WORDS: Anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody, Vasculitis, Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin
*Min Chen and Fang Wang contributed equally to this work.
Submitted 25 August 2008;
revised version accepted 10 December 2008.
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