Role of Tumor necrosis factor -like weak inducer of apoptosis /Fibroblast growth factor inducible molecule 14 pathway in Lupus Nephritis

Abstract

Systemic lupus erythematosus is the most serologically and clinically diverse multisystem autoimmune disease characterized by autoantibody production, immune complex formation and immunologically mediated tissue injury. Lupus nephritis is a prominent feature in SLE present in 15-30% of patients with lupus at the time of the initial diagnosis and 30-50% during the disease progression. Now, evidence that TWEAK contributes to the pathogenesis of LN is accumulating due its role in promoting an inflammatory response, renal cell proliferation, apoptosis, vascular changes and fibrosis. This study represents one of the studies that aimed to assess the role of TWEAK in detecting the renal disease activity in patients with SLE and to study the relation between TWEAK levels as well as Fn14 with disease activity and pathological LN classification. The present study included thirty SLE patients who were selected from outpatient clinic of Physical Medicine, Rheumatology and Rehabilitation as well as Nephrology department of Ain Shams University Hospitals, diagnosed according to SLICC criteria 2012 for SLE.