Urinary sediment ICAM-1 level in lupus nephritis

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Immunology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Urinary intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) is a potential biomarker for lupus nephritis (LN).
• Soluble ICAM-1 in urine supernatant may lack biological relevance due to ICAM-1 being a cell-surface molecule.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the clinical relevance of urinary sediment ICAM-1 levels in LN.
• To explore the relationship between urinary sediment ICAM-1, renal function, and specific microRNAs in LN patients.

Main Methods:

• Quantified urinary sediment ICAM-1 levels using a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assay in 12 LN patients, 10 pauci-immune necrotizing glomerulonephritis (NecGN) patients, and 6 healthy controls.
• Measured urinary sediment levels of miR-221, miR-222, miR-339-3P, and miR-339-5P, which regulate ICAM-1 production.

Main Results:

• LN patients exhibited significantly lower urinary sediment ICAM-1 levels compared to NecGN patients and healthy controls (p=0.034).
• Urinary sediment ICAM-1 levels inversely correlated with estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) (r=-0.474, p=0.026).
• Urinary sediment miR-221 and miR-222 levels correlated with markers of lupus disease activity, including serum anti-dsDNA and C3 levels.

Conclusions:

• Urinary sediment ICAM-1 is reduced in LN and correlates with impaired renal function.
• Urinary sediment miR-221 and miR-222 show potential as novel biomarkers for assessing LN disease activity and progression.