Lupus & antiphospholipid syndrome
Urinary soluble CD163 is useful to predict lupus nephritis activity and to monitor standard-of-care therapy response
Authors' conclusion
Our findings support the involvement of CD163 positive macrophages (M2c) in the pathophysiology of LN
Study context
- Population
- Patients with SLE, 129 with LN assessed longitudinally; 39 with kidney biopsy at sample collection129 LN
- Participants
- 214 patients
- Exposure
- usCD163/Cre vs conventional biomarkers (PCR, serum albumin) for LN activity and therapy response
- Outcome
- Discrimination of active LN vs inactive states (renal activity, SLEDAI-R)
Methodological detailsmonocentric, biomarker diagnostic accuracy
- Monocentric
- Biomarker diagnostic accuracy
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Active LN vs inactive states (cross-sectional)
| Group | AUC |
|---|---|
| usCD163/Cre | 0.999 |
| PCR | 0.994 |
| Serum albumin | 0.940 |
AUC
usCD163/Cre0.999
PCR0.994
Serum albumin0.940
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | usCD163/Cre |
|---|---|
| Histological activity at kidney biopsy · time of kidney biopsy | |
| AUC | 0.962 |
| Threshold | 1200 ng/mmol |
| Disease flares during follow-up | |
| Threshold | >520 ng/mmol |
Histological activity at kidney biopsy · time of kidney biopsy
- usCD163/Cre the only reliable predictor of histological activity
Disease flares during follow-up
- usCD163/Cre outperformed PCR to discriminate disease flares
Therapy response (complete, partial, non-responders) · 3 and 6 months after therapy introduction
- Low usCD163/Cre levels
- <520 ng/mmol
- Medium usCD163/Cre levels
- 520-1200 ng/mmol
- High usCD163/Cre levels
- >1200 ng/mmol
- Categories predict complete, partial and non-responders as an independent factor
Original publication
Urinary soluble CD163 is useful to predict lupus nephritis activity and to monitor standard-of-care therapy response. Rheumatology (Oxford). Published 18 August 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →