Association of serum levels of galectin-9 and IP-10 with disease activation in lupus nephritis

Objectives: Galectin-9 and IP-10 are downstream molecules of the Type 1 interferon (IFN) pathway involved in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and are thought to be used as biomarkers reflecting disease activity. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association of serum levels of Galectin-9 and IP-10 with disease activation in LN. Patients and Methods: Fifty-nine patients with LN (thirty-one of whom were active and 28 of whom were inactive) were recruited. Seven-teen patients with Primary Sjogren Syndrome (PSS), 36 patients with Primary Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome (PAPS) and 61 healthy volunteers were selected as control groups. Serum levels of Galectin-9 and IP-10 were tested using ELISA. Results: Fifty-nine LN patients, 44 (74.6%) of whom were female, with a mean disease duration of 103.3±96.6 (1-360) months and a mean age of 37.9±12 (19-63) were included in the study. Serum levels of Galectin-9 and IP-10 were significantly higher in the active LN group compared with the inactive LN, PSS, PAPS and healthy control groups (p≤0.05). Biomarker levels were similar in inactive LN, PSS and PAPS groups (p>0.05) and were significantly higher in all three groups compared to healthy controls (p≤0.05). Serum levels of both biomarkers correlated with SLEDAI scores (p<0.001). Conclusions: Serum Galectin-9 and IP-10 are important biomarkers reflecting disease activity in lupus nephritis. Further studies are awaited to confirm these results. (This study was funded by Istanbul University with the project number TTU-2020-36895).