Jinmei Luo1, Fen Wang2, Jianxin Wan3, Zhuangjian Ye3, Chumei Huang3, Yuesu Cai4, Min Liu3, Ben-Quan Wu5, Laisheng Li6. 1. Departments of Internal Medicine, Medical Intensive Care Unit, Division of Respiratory Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, People's Republic of China; Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-en University, Guangzhou 510630, People's Republic of China. 2. Departments of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, People's Republic of China. 3. Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-en University, Guangzhou 510630, People's Republic of China. 4. Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Hospital of Shantou Central Hospital, Shantou 515000, People's Republic of China. 5. Departments of Internal Medicine, Medical Intensive Care Unit, Division of Respiratory Diseases, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: zswbq@163.com. 6. Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-en University, Guangzhou 510630, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: lilaish@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Renal fibrosis remains an important cause of kidney allograft failure. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of serum human epididymis secretory protein 4 (HE4) as a biomarker for renal fibrosis in kidney transplant recipients. METHODS: A total of 103 kidney transplantation patients were enrolled in this study, and serum HE4 concentrations were detected using the chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay. Renal biopsy was carried out, and histological findings were assessed by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Median serum HE4 concentrations were significantly increased in kidney transplant recipients (186.2 pmol/l, interquartile range [IQR] 125.6-300.2) compared with control subjects (34.3 pmol/l, IQR 30.4-42.3, p < 0.0001). Meanwhile, serum HE4 concentrations were significantly increased along with disease severity (p < 0.0001). In addition, we found serum HE4 concentrations to be strongly correlated with the severity of fibrosis (IF/TA 0, 1, 2, and 3: 114.3, 179.0, 197.8, and 467.8 pmol/l, respectively; p < 0.0001) and serum HE4 concentrations significantly correlated with HE4 tissue expression concentrations in renal biopsy. CONCLUSIONS: Serum HE4 was increased in kidney transplant recipients with decreased kidney function and renal fibrosis and was correlated with the severity of the disease, suggesting that HE4 has the potential to be used as a novel clinical biomarker for evaluating kidney function and predicting renal fibrosis in kidney transplant recipients.
BACKGROUND:Renal fibrosis remains an important cause of kidney allograft failure. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of serum humanepididymis secretory protein 4 (HE4) as a biomarker for renal fibrosis in kidney transplant recipients. METHODS: A total of 103 kidney transplantation patients were enrolled in this study, and serum HE4 concentrations were detected using the chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay. Renal biopsy was carried out, and histological findings were assessed by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Median serum HE4 concentrations were significantly increased in kidney transplant recipients (186.2 pmol/l, interquartile range [IQR] 125.6-300.2) compared with control subjects (34.3 pmol/l, IQR 30.4-42.3, p < 0.0001). Meanwhile, serum HE4 concentrations were significantly increased along with disease severity (p < 0.0001). In addition, we found serum HE4 concentrations to be strongly correlated with the severity of fibrosis (IF/TA 0, 1, 2, and 3: 114.3, 179.0, 197.8, and 467.8 pmol/l, respectively; p < 0.0001) and serum HE4 concentrations significantly correlated with HE4 tissue expression concentrations in renal biopsy. CONCLUSIONS: Serum HE4 was increased in kidney transplant recipients with decreased kidney function and renal fibrosis and was correlated with the severity of the disease, suggesting that HE4 has the potential to be used as a novel clinical biomarker for evaluating kidney function and predicting renal fibrosis in kidney transplant recipients.