Association of urinary NGAL with renal tubulointerstitial lesions and its clinical significance in LN patients

作者：Ma, Ruixia^*; Li, Dongchuan; Liu, Liqiu; Li, Zuolin

来源：International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Pathology, 2016, 9(3): 3365-3372.

• Lupus nephritis (LN)
• neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL)
• tubulointerstitial lesions

To investigate the relationship between the levels of urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NAGL) and activity of tubulointerstitial lesions in patients with lupus nephritis (LN), and to find a new biomarker reflecting renal tubulointerstitial lesions activity in LN. Kidney tissues were collected from 60 patients, including 39 cases of active group and 21 cases of inactive group, who were diagnosed with LN for the first time. As control group, normal kidney tissues were collected from 10 patients, who had accepted nephrectomy because of injury or benign tumor. An immunohistochemistry was performed to detect the NGAL levels in kidney tissues. The NGAL levels in blood and urine samples were investigated using ELISA. The levels of urinary NAGL in patients of LN active group were significantly higher than that in LN inactive group and control group, and were positively correlated with 24-hour urinary protein excretion (24 h UP), SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI), renal activity index of SLE patients (R-SLEDAI), glomerular activity index (GAI), tubulointerstitial activity index (TLAI), and activity Index (AI). The levels of NGAL in kidney of LN patients were higher than that in control group, and were positively correlated with serum creatinine (SCr), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), GAI, TLAT and AI. NAGL levels in urine and kidney tissues of LN patients exhibited a significant up-regulating trend, in accordance with the severity of renal tubulointerstitial lesions. Urinary NAGL levels can be treated as a sensitive indicator of LN activity, tubulointerstitial lesions activity and severity.

• 出版日期2016
• 单位青岛大学