Biomarkers of lupus which could lead to quicker and better diagnosis

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Biomarkers of lupus which could lead to quicker and

better diagnosis

05 Nov 2004

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=15903

University of Pittsburgh researchers have identified

biomarkers that could result in earlier and more

accurate diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus

(SLE), a devastating disease that affects as many as

1.5 million Americans, and occurs 10 to 15 times more

frequently in women.

The results are published in the November 2004 issue

of Arthritis & Rheumatism.

" This is the first report of abnormal levels of the

protein erythrocyte-C4d in human disease, " said lead

author Manzi, M.D., M.P.H., associate professor

of medicine, epidemiology and dermatology at the

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and the

University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public

Health. " Abnormally high levels of erythrocyte-C4d and

low levels of erythrocyte-CR1 are characteristic of

SLE and combined measurement of the two proteins has

high diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for

lupus. "

The significance of the finding is substantial,

according to ph Ahearn, M.D., associate professor

of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of

Medicine and senior author of the study.

" Today we are one step closer to providing patients

with an immediate and accurate diagnosis, one step

closer to providing physicians with the ability to

offer better treatment options and one step closer to

providing incentive to lower the cost of health care

for patients suffering from lupus, " Dr. Ahearn said.

" Lupus is the prototypical autoimmune disease and

arguably the greatest diagnostic challenge among

rheumatologic diseases, " he said. " The spectrum of

disease among patients with SLE is broad and ranges

from subtle or vague symptoms to life-threatening

multiorgan failure, and the manifestations of lupus

often mimic those of other diseases makes it difficult

to diagnose. "

It is not unusual for a patient with lupus to seek

advice from a variety of specialists and

subspecialists over a period of years before being

accurately diagnosed, which results in delays in

receiving proper therapy and an ultimately greater

cost for treating the disease and its complications.

Although there is no cure for lupus, there are many

ways to treat symptoms, including chemotherapy.

Currently, most physicians rely on blood abnormalities

to aid in the diagnosis of SLE, but according to Dr.

Manzi, these tests are inadequate because they are not

sensitive or specific enough.

In the study, researchers used blood samples taken

from each participant and analyzed them using flow

cytometry to compare the levels of proteins in 100

patients who were confirmed to have lupus, 133

patients who had other diseases and conditions

including myositis, systemic sclerosis, hepatitis and

rheumatoid arthritis, and 84 healthy patients.

Lupus is a widespread and chronic autoimmune disease

that, for unknown reasons, causes the immune system to

attack the body's own tissue and organs, including the

joints, kidneys, heart, lungs, brain, blood and skin.

The immune system normally protects the body against

viruses, bacteria and other foreign materials. In an

autoimmune disease like lupus, the immune system loses

its ability to tell the difference between foreign

substances and its own cells and tissue. The immune

system then makes antibodies directed against itself.

The study was supported by grants from the National

Institutes of Health, the Lupus Foundation of

Pennsylvania, the Alliance for Lupus Research, the

Lupus Foundation America, Southeastern Pennsylvania

Chapter and the National Arthritis Foundation.

For more information, media may contact Alan Aldinger

at aldial@... or by calling 412-624-2607, while

patients may visit www.lupuscenter.org or call The

Lupus Center of Excellence, of which Drs. Manzi and

Ahearn are co-directors, at 412-648-9413.

Contact: Alan Aldinger

AldiAL@...

Phone: 412-624-2607

Fax: 412-624-3184

Raczkiewicz

RaczkiewiczFA@...

Phone: 412-624-2607

Fax: 412-624-3184

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center