الفهرس 
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Abstract
SLE is a chronic relapsing inflammatory multi-systemic disorder of connective tissue, characterized by the production of a wide range of autoantibodies and ICs that may lead to tissue injury.
However, the pathogenesis of the disease remains unclear. It is accepted that B and T cells play a provital role in the pathogenesis of SLE.
NGAL was first described in human neutrophil granules. It belongs to a family of carrier proteins that are important for cellular iron transport, apoptosis, bacteriostasis and tissue differentiation. It is constitutively expressed at low levels in the kidneys. Meanwhile, it is upregulated following acute renal injury and various insults as inflammation, ischemia and infection.
In this study, we aimed to:
Evaluate the role of uNGAL, as a biomarker of renal involvement in adult patients with SLE.
The study was conducted on:
A total of 62 SLE patients, divided into two groups:
Group I: Forty two SLE patients with nephritis diagnosed by the presence of at least two of the four kidney related parameters of the SLEDAI: hematuria, pyuria, proteinuria and urinary casts.
Group II: Twenty SLE patients without urinary changes suggestive of renal involvement.
All patients were fulfilling the ACR criteria for classification of SLE. A third group (group III) to serve as the control group included twenty healthy volunteers with matched age and sex.
All patients were subjected to:
- Detailed history taking and complete physical examination.
- CBC, ESR, FBS, renal function tests (blood urea, serum creatinine, complete urine analysis and urinary PCR) and immunological profiles (ANA, Anti-Ds DNA, C3 and C4).
- uNGAL.
- Renal biopsy in all cases with subjected nephritis.
- SLEDAI: (total SLEDAI, renal SLEDAI and extrarenal SLEDAI) in SLE patients.