Lupus & antiphospholipid syndrome
Circulating kidney injury molecule-1 as a prognostic biomarker for long-term renal outcomes in lupus nephritis: a retrospective cohort study
Authors' conclusion
Elevated circulating KIM-1 at the time of renal biopsy was associated with adverse long-term renal outcomes in LN and independently associated with relapse, although its incremental predictive value beyond conventional clinical markers was modest.
Study context
- Population
- Japanese patients with biopsy-confirmed lupus nephritis (LN) treated at Kanazawa University Hospital, 1990–202263 screened, 17 excluded
- Participants
- 46 patients
- Exposure
- High-KIM-1 vs low-KIM-1
- Outcome
- LN relapse, ESKD and all-cause mortality
Methodological detailssingle-centre, median cut-off stratification (153 pg/mL), Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards models
- Single-centre
- Median cut-off stratification (153 pg/mL)
- Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards models
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
median follow-up 127 months
Relapse (all patients)
nine patients (20%)
End-stage kidney disease (ESKD) (all patients)
four (9%)
Death (all patients)
six (13%)
Circulating KIM-1 independently associated with LN relapse (multivariable Cox), per-IQR HR 95% CI 1.07 to 3.45; p=0.029
1.92
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Baseline characteristics
- High-KIM-1 had lower baseline renal function, greater proteinuria, higher frequency of Class IV histology and higher activity index scores
Original publication
Circulating kidney injury molecule-1 as a prognostic biomarker for long-term renal outcomes in lupus nephritis: a retrospective cohort study. Lupus Sci Med. Published 23 July 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →