Serum L-ficolin levels in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Watanabe, Hiroshi
Saito, Rie
Asano, Tomoyuki
Sato, Shuzo
Iwadate, Haruyo
Kobayashi, Hiroko
Ohira, Hiromasa

Department of Gastroenterology and Rheumatology, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan

Correspondence to: Hiroshi Watanabe, Department of Gastroenterology and Rheumatology, School of Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan e-mail: [email protected]

Received October 14, 2010

Accepted February 01, 2012

This article is published and distributed under the terms of the Oxford University Press, Standard Journals Publication Model (https://academic.oup.com/journals/pages/open_access/funder_policies/chorus/standard_publication_model)

Modern Rheumatology 22(6):p 899-902, November 01, 2012. | DOI: 10.3109/s10165-012-0616-y

Objective L-ficolin plays an important role in innate immunity and is involved in apoptosis. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between serum L-ficolin levels and clinical manifestations in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Methods Serum L-ficolin levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 66 SLE patients and 50 healthy controls.

Results Median serum L-ficolin levels were 5.0 and 8.7 μg/ml in SLE patients and controls, respectively (p = 0.0001). There were no significant differences in serum L-ficolin levels between the active disease group [SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) > 6] and the inactive disease group (SLEDAI < 5). Decreased serum L-ficolin levels were associated with thrombocytopenia (median of with vs. without thrombocytopenia 3.4 vs. 5.3 μg/ml, p = 0.008). There were no correlations between serum L-ficolin levels and SLEDAI, serum C3, or serum C4 levels.

Conclusion The association between L-ficolin and thrombocytopenia suggests a pathogenic role for L-ficolin in thrombocytopenia in SLE.