Associations of B cell-activating factor (BAFF) and anti-BAFF autoantibodies with disease activity in multi-ethnic Asian systemic lupus erythematosus patients in Singapore

作者：Howe H S^*; Thong B Y H; Kong K O; Chng H H; Lian T Y; Chia F L; Tay K S S; Lau T C; Law W G; Koh E T; Leung B P

来源：Clinical and Experimental Immunology, 2017, 189(3): 298-303.

DOI：10.1111/cei.12975

• anti-BAFF
• autoantibodies
• BAFF
• systemic lupus erythematosus

To measure the levels of B cell-activating factor (BAFF) and endogenous anti-BAFF autoantibodies in a cohort of multi-ethnic Asian systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients in Singapore, to determine their correlation with disease activity. Serum samples from 121 SLE patients and 24 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were assayed for BAFF and anti-BAFF immunoglobulin (Ig)G antibody levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The lowest reliable detection limit for anti-BAFF-IgG antibody levels was defined as 2 standard deviations (s.d.) from blank. Correlation of serum BAFF and anti-BAFF IgG levels with disease activity [scored by SLE Activity Measure revised (SLAM-R)], and disease manifestations were determined in these 121 patients. SLE patients had elevated BAFF levels compared to controls; mean 820 +/- 40 pg/ml and 152 pg +/- 45/ml, respectively [mean +/- standard error of the mean (s.e.m.), P<0<bold></bold>01], which were correlated positively with anti-dsDNA antibody levels (r=0<bold></bold>253, P<0<bold></bold>03), and SLAM-R scores (r=0<bold></bold>627, P<0<bold></bold>01). In addition, SLE patients had significantly higher levels of anti-BAFF IgG, which were correlated negatively with disease activity (r=-0<bold></bold>436, P<0<bold></bold>01), levels of anti-dsDNA antibody (r=-0<bold></bold>347, P<0<bold></bold>02) and BAFF (r=-0<bold></bold>459, P<0<bold></bold>01). The majority of patients in this multi-ethnic Asian SLE cohort had elevated levels of BAFF and anti-BAFF antibodies. Anti-BAFF autoantibody levels correlated negatively with clinical disease activity, anti-dsDNA and BAFF levels, suggesting that they may be disease-modifying. Our results provide further information about the complexity of BAFF pathophysiology in different SLE disease populations and phenotypes, and suggest that studies of the influence of anti-cytokine antibodies in different SLE populations will be required when selecting patients for trials using targeted anti-cytokine therapies.

• 出版日期2017-9