Assessment of the Potential Role of Some Inflammatory Cytokines and Chemokines in Lupus Nephritis Patients

Abstract

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disorder, multisystemic, relapsing, and remitting disease affecting multiple organs including joints, skin, blood, serous membranes, kidneys, central nervous system (CNS) and others organs. Renal involvement in SLE is still one of the strongest predictors for morbidity and mortality. Although over the last decades the therapeutic options for LN have increased leading to better results, the survival rate among patients with LN is still about 75 % after 15 years. LN may be presented by a wide range of abnormalities ranging from asymptomatic proteinuria or microscopic hematuria with normal renal function to severe nephrotic syndrome or renal failure. Till now there is no single biomarker can be used to detect lupus activity especially lupus nephritis. Renal biopsy is still the gold standard method but it’s invasive and mainly used in the initial assessment of the patients. According to all guidelines the physicians are still using proteinuria, hypocomplementemia and high titer of anti- ds DNA as predictors of renal flares but sometimes they have limitations because proteinuria may occur due to permanent