Qiankun Zhang1,2, Yin Wang1,2, Yanhong Ma1, Lie Jin2, Lan Lan1, Pingping Ren1, Jianghua Chen1, Fei Han3. 1. Kidney Disease Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Key Laboratory of Kidney Disease Prevention and Control Technology, Institute of Nephrology, Zhejiang University, 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang Province, People's Republic of China. 2. Division of Nephrology, Lishui Central Hospital, Lishui Hospital of Zhejiang University, the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Lishui, 323000, People's Republic of China. 3. Kidney Disease Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Key Laboratory of Kidney Disease Prevention and Control Technology, Institute of Nephrology, Zhejiang University, 79 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou, 310003, Zhejiang Province, People's Republic of China. hanf8876@zju.edu.cn.
Abstract
PURPOSE: This study evaluated the correlation of anti-β2-glycoprotein I (anti-β2-GPI) antibodies with complement activation in patients with idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN). METHODS: Thirty-two IMN patients with positive anti-β2-GPI antibody were enrolled, and 32 age- and sex-matched IMN patients with negative anti-β2-GPI antibody were randomly enrolled as controls. The frozen serum samples of these 64 patients were collected for detection of anti-phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) antibody and the activity of three complement pathways. Paraffin specimens of the kidney tissues of these 64 patients were collected for immunohistochemical staining of C4d. RESULTS: IMN patients with positive anti-β2-GPI antibody had a significant decline of the residual complement activity of alternative pathway than those with negative anti-β2-GPI antibody (37.4 ± 21.2% vs 65.7 ± 50.5%, P = 0.021). The positive rate of kidney C4d staining in IMN patients with and without anti-β2-GPI was 65.6 and 81.2%, with no significant difference (P = 0.257). Patients with and without anti-β2-GPI had the same positive rate of anti-PLA2R antibody. CONCLUSION: Anti-β2-GPI antibody was associated with alternative complement activation in patients with IMN.
PURPOSE: This study evaluated the correlation of anti-β2-glycoprotein I (anti-β2-GPI) antibodies with complement activation in patients with idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN). METHODS: Thirty-two IMN patients with positive anti-β2-GPI antibody were enrolled, and 32 age- and sex-matched IMN patients with negative anti-β2-GPI antibody were randomly enrolled as controls. The frozen serum samples of these 64 patients were collected for detection of anti-phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) antibody and the activity of three complement pathways. Paraffin specimens of the kidney tissues of these 64 patients were collected for immunohistochemical staining of C4d. RESULTS: IMN patients with positive anti-β2-GPI antibody had a significant decline of the residual complement activity of alternative pathway than those with negative anti-β2-GPI antibody (37.4 ± 21.2% vs 65.7 ± 50.5%, P = 0.021). The positive rate of kidney C4d staining in IMN patients with and without anti-β2-GPI was 65.6 and 81.2%, with no significant difference (P = 0.257). Patients with and without anti-β2-GPI had the same positive rate of anti-PLA2R antibody. CONCLUSION: Anti-β2-GPI antibody was associated with alternative complement activation in patients with IMN.