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Omer MH, Shafqat A, Ahmad O, Nadri J, AlKattan K, Yaqinuddin A. Urinary Biomarkers for Lupus Nephritis: A Systems Biology Approach. J Clin Med 2024; 13:2339. [PMID: 38673612 PMCID: PMC11051403 DOI: 10.3390/jcm13082339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the prototypical systemic autoimmune disorder. Kidney involvement, termed lupus nephritis (LN), is seen in 40-60% of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). After the diagnosis, serial measurement of proteinuria is the most common method of monitoring treatment response and progression. However, present treatments for LN-corticosteroids and immunosuppressants-target inflammation, not proteinuria. Furthermore, subclinical renal inflammation can persist despite improving proteinuria. Serial kidney biopsies-the gold standard for disease monitoring-are also not feasible due to their inherent risk of complications. Biomarkers that reflect the underlying renal inflammatory process and better predict LN progression and treatment response are urgently needed. Urinary biomarkers are particularly relevant as they can be measured non-invasively and may better reflect the compartmentalized renal response in LN, unlike serum studies that are non-specific to the kidney. The past decade has overseen a boom in applying cutting-edge technologies to dissect the pathogenesis of diseases at the molecular and cellular levels. Using these technologies in LN is beginning to reveal novel disease biomarkers and therapeutic targets for LN, potentially improving patient outcomes if successfully translated to clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed H. Omer
- School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF14 4YS, UK;
| | - Areez Shafqat
- College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh 11533, Saudi Arabia; (O.A.); (J.N.); (K.A.); (A.Y.)
| | - Omar Ahmad
- College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh 11533, Saudi Arabia; (O.A.); (J.N.); (K.A.); (A.Y.)
| | - Juzer Nadri
- College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh 11533, Saudi Arabia; (O.A.); (J.N.); (K.A.); (A.Y.)
| | - Khaled AlKattan
- College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh 11533, Saudi Arabia; (O.A.); (J.N.); (K.A.); (A.Y.)
| | - Ahmed Yaqinuddin
- College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh 11533, Saudi Arabia; (O.A.); (J.N.); (K.A.); (A.Y.)
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Horisberger A, Griffith A, Keegan J, Arazi A, Pulford J, Murzin E, Howard K, Hancock B, Fava A, Sasaki T, Ghosh T, Inamo J, Beuschel R, Cao Y, Preisinger K, Gutierrez-Arcelus M, Eisenhaure TM, Guthridge J, Hoover PJ, Dall'Era M, Wofsy D, Kamen DL, Kalunian KC, Furie R, Belmont M, Izmirly P, Clancy R, Hildeman D, Woodle ES, Apruzzese W, McMahon MA, Grossman J, Barnas JL, Payan-Schober F, Ishimori M, Weisman M, Kretzler M, Berthier CC, Hodgin JB, Demeke DS, Putterman C, Brenner MB, Anolik JH, Raychaudhuri S, Hacohen N, James JA, Davidson A, Petri MA, Buyon JP, Diamond B, Zhang F, Lederer JA, Rao DA. Blood immunophenotyping identifies distinct kidney histopathology and outcomes in patients with lupus nephritis. bioRxiv 2024:2024.01.14.575609. [PMID: 38293222 PMCID: PMC10827101 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.14.575609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Lupus nephritis (LN) is a frequent manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus, and fewer than half of patients achieve complete renal response with standard immunosuppressants. Identifying non-invasive, blood-based pathologic immune alterations associated with renal injury could aid therapeutic decisions. Here, we used mass cytometry immunophenotyping of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in 145 patients with biopsy-proven LN and 40 healthy controls to evaluate the heterogeneity of immune activation in patients with LN and to identify correlates of renal parameters and treatment response. Unbiased analysis identified 3 immunologically distinct groups of patients with LN that were associated with different patterns of histopathology, renal cell infiltrates, urine proteomic profiles, and treatment response at one year. Patients with enriched circulating granzyme B+ T cells at baseline showed more severe disease and increased numbers of activated CD8 T cells in the kidney, yet they had the highest likelihood of treatment response. A second group characterized primarily by a high type I interferon signature had a lower likelihood of response to therapy, while a third group appeared immunologically inactive by immunophenotyping at enrollment but with chronic renal injuries. Main immune profiles could be distilled down to 5 simple cytometric parameters that recapitulate several of the associations, highlighting the potential for blood immune profiling to translate to clinically useful non-invasive metrics to assess immune-mediated disease in LN.
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Parodis I, Moroni G, Calatroni M, Bellis E, Gatto M. Is per-protocol kidney biopsy required in lupus nephritis? Autoimmun Rev 2024; 23:103422. [PMID: 37633351 DOI: 10.1016/j.autrev.2023.103422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
Baseline kidney biopsy is recommended in lupus nephritis (LN). Biopsy allows to classify different forms of LN and differentiate other forms of renal involvement, such as tubulo-interstitial nephritis or thrombotic microangiopathy. The indications for repeat biopsy are more controversial. Some authors feel that good clinical monitoring is sufficient to assess prognosis and make therapeutic decisions. Based on the recently demonstrated discordance between clinical and histological response, some physicians recommend per-protocol biopsies either at 6 months in stable patients to verify the response to induction therapy, or after one-to-two years to assess treatment efficacy and tune the duration of maintenance therapy. Others recommend repeating kidney biopsy in case of incomplete response or to discriminate between active and chronic lesions. By definition, a per-protocol kidney biopsy differs from a repeat biopsy in that the former is foreseen at fixed timepoints, regardless of the clinical response. Although any decision should always consider the patient's overall clinical condition, there are no doubts that repeat kidney biopsy represents a useful tool in difficult cases to evaluate treatment response, modulate treatment intensity, and predict long-term renal outcome both in quiescent lupus and during flares. How to harmonize per-protocol biopsies in the LN course remains challenging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis Parodis
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Medical Unit of Gastroenterology, Dermatology, and Rheumatology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Rheumatology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Gabriella Moroni
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, 20072 Pieve Emanuele Milan, Italy; Nephrology and Dialysis Division, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy.
| | - Marta Calatroni
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Via Rita Levi Montalcini 4, 20072 Pieve Emanuele Milan, Italy; Nephrology and Dialysis Division, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisa Bellis
- Unit of Rheumatology, Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Mariele Gatto
- Unit of Rheumatology, Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Unit of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
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Parodis I, Depascale R, Doria A, Anders HJ. When should targeted therapies be used in the treatment of lupus nephritis: Early in the disease course or in refractory patients? Autoimmun Rev 2024; 23:103418. [PMID: 37625673 DOI: 10.1016/j.autrev.2023.103418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
Although the prognosis of lupus nephritis (LN) has improved over the last few decades, 5-20% of patients still progress to kidney failure. Hence, there is an unmet need to improve the management of LN. Two novel drugs, belimumab and voclosporin, have been recently approved for LN and obinutuzumab is in the late stage of development. In randomised controlled trials (RCTs), all these drugs, added to the standard-of-care, were more effective than standard-of-care alone in achieving renal response. Now the question is: should these new drugs be used early in the disease course or just in refractory patients? The main reasons supporting the early use are based on the RCTs that demonstrated benefits when combinatory regimen was initiated early in incident and relapsing patients leading to a higher proportion of patients to achieve renal response, hence reducing nephron loss and the risk of kidney failure. The main reasons supporting the use of the combinatory regimens primarily in relapsing/refractory patients acknowledge that many patients responded well even without add-on medications, allowing a more economic use of innovative and costly drugs. However, good predictors of renal response to standard-of-care are lacking and, thus, the decision of adding new treatments early or just in refractory or relapsing patients has to consider drug access, risks of over or undertreatment, and preservation of kidney function in high-risk individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis Parodis
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine Solna, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Gastroenterology, Dermatology, and Rheumatology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Rheumatology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Roberto Depascale
- Deparment of Medicine DIMED, Division of Rheumatology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Andrea Doria
- Deparment of Medicine DIMED, Division of Rheumatology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy.
| | - Hans-Joachim Anders
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine IV, Hospital of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
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Schena FP, Chiurlia S, Abbrescia DI, Cox SN. Kidney and urine cell transcriptomics in IgA nephropathy and lupus nephritis: a narrative review. Clin Kidney J 2024; 17:sfad121. [PMID: 38186900 PMCID: PMC10765090 DOI: 10.1093/ckj/sfad121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
This narrative review sheds light on the use of transcriptomics in the analysis of kidney biopsies and urinary cell samples from patients with immunoglobulin A nephropathy or lupus nephritis. The conventional methods of examining kidney biopsy through light microscopy, immunofluorescence and electron microscopy provide valuable clinical information for diagnosis and prognosis but have some limitations that transcriptomics can address. Some recent studies have reported that kidney transcriptomics has uncovered new molecular biomarkers implicated in the inflammatory process induced by the deposition of circulating immune complexes in the investigated kidney diseases. In addition, transcriptomics applied to urinary cells mirrors the inflammatory process that occurs in the kidney. This means that we can study urinary cell transcriptomics in clinical practice to diagnose the stage of the inflammatory process. Furthermore, the transcriptomics of urinary cells can be used to make therapy decisions during patient follow-up to avoid the stress of a second kidney biopsy. The studies analyzed in this review have a significant limitation. Biomarkers have been identified in small cohorts of patients but none of them has been validated in independent external cohorts. Further prospective studies in large cohorts of patients are necessary for accurate and complete validation. Only after that can these biomarkers be widely used in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco P Schena
- Department of Emergency and Organ Transplant, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
- Schena Foundation, Policlinic, Bari, Italy
| | - Samantha Chiurlia
- Renal Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera-Universitaria Policlinico, Bari, Italy
| | - Daniela I Abbrescia
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Environment, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Sharon N Cox
- Department of Biosciences, Biotechnologies and Environment, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
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Mok CC. Prognostic Stratification of Lupus Nephritis: The Importance of Renal Histology. J Rheumatol 2023; 50:1095-1096. [PMID: 37263655 DOI: 10.3899/jrheum.2023-0381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Chi Chiu Mok
- C.C. Mok, MD, Department of Medicine, Tuen Mun Hospital, Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
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Mavragani CP, Kirou KA, Seshan SV, Crow MK. Type I interferon and neutrophil transcripts in lupus nephritis renal biopsies: clinical and histopathological associations. Rheumatology (Oxford) 2023; 62:2534-2538. [PMID: 36355567 PMCID: PMC10321084 DOI: 10.1093/rheumatology/keac641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To investigate the expression of type I IFN (IFN-I) and neutrophil transcripts in kidney tissue from patients with different classes of LN and their association with distinct clinical and histopathological features. METHODS Quantitation of IFN-I, defensin-α3 and formyl peptide receptor-like 1 (FPRL-1) transcripts was performed in kidney biopsy tissue from 24 patients with various classes of LN (6 class III, 14 class IV, 4 class V) and 3 control samples. Patient demographics, glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and histopathological characteristics, including activity and chronicity indices, were analysed. RESULTS IFNα2 and IFNβ transcripts were overexpressed in renal tissues from patients with proliferative forms of LN (III/IV) compared with patients with membranous nephritis and control kidneys. Patients with LN and impaired renal function, attested by eGFR, displayed higher relative expression of IFNα2 transcripts in renal tissues compared with those with normal renal function (23.0 ± 16.2 vs 12.0 ± 14.8, P = 0.04). Defensin-α3, but not FPRL-1, transcripts were overexpressed in LN tissues, particularly those with segmental necrotizing lesions, and were correlated with higher renal pathological activity indices (r = 0.61, P = 0.02), urinary protein levels (r = 0.44, P = 0.048) and IFNα2 expression (r = 0.50, P = 0.01). CONCLUSION IFN-I transcripts are expressed locally in kidneys from patients with proliferative LN and are associated with impaired renal function. Elevated defensin-α3 transcripts, a neutrophil product associated with neutrophil extracellular traps, may identify a driver of local IFN-I expression. These findings provide insights into the mechanisms of proliferative LN and may inform therapeutic decisions regarding selection of IFN-I pathway inhibitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clio P Mavragani
- Department of Medicine, Mary Kirkland Center for Lupus Research, Hospital for Special Surgery and Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Joint Academic Rheumatology Program, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Kyriakos A Kirou
- Department of Medicine, Mary Kirkland Center for Lupus Research, Hospital for Special Surgery and Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Surya V Seshan
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mary K Crow
- Department of Medicine, Mary Kirkland Center for Lupus Research, Hospital for Special Surgery and Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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Fenton KA, Pedersen HL. Advanced methods and novel biomarkers in autoimmune diseases ‑ a review of the recent years progress in systemic lupus erythematosus. Front Med (Lausanne) 2023; 10:1183535. [PMID: 37425332 PMCID: PMC10326284 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1183535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
There are several autoimmune and rheumatic diseases affecting different organs of the human body. Multiple sclerosis (MS) mainly affects brain, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) mainly affects joints, Type 1 diabetes (T1D) mainly affects pancreas, Sjogren's syndrome (SS) mainly affects salivary glands, while systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) affects almost every organ of the body. Autoimmune diseases are characterized by production of autoantibodies, activation of immune cells, increased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and activation of type I interferons. Despite improvements in treatments and diagnostic tools, the time it takes for the patients to be diagnosed is too long, and the main treatment for these diseases is still non-specific anti-inflammatory drugs. Thus, there is an urgent need for better biomarkers, as well as tailored, personalized treatment. This review focus on SLE and the organs affected in this disease. We have used the results from various rheumatic and autoimmune diseases and the organs involved with an aim to identify advanced methods and possible biomarkers to be utilized in the diagnosis of SLE, disease monitoring, and response to treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Andreassen Fenton
- UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
- Centre of Clinical Research and Education, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Hege Lynum Pedersen
- UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
- Centre of Clinical Research and Education, University Hospital of North Norway, Tromsø, Norway
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Tsai CY, Li KJ, Shen CY, Lu CH, Lee HT, Wu TH, Ng YY, Tsao YP, Hsieh SC, Yu CL. Decipher the Immunopathological Mechanisms and Set Up Potential Therapeutic Strategies for Patients with Lupus Nephritis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10066. [PMID: 37373215 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241210066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Lupus nephritis (LN) is one of the most severe complications in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Traditionally, LN is regarded as an immune complex (IC) deposition disease led by dsDNA-anti-dsDNA-complement interactions in the subendothelial and/or subepithelial basement membrane of glomeruli to cause inflammation. The activated complements in the IC act as chemoattractants to chemically attract both innate and adaptive immune cells to the kidney tissues, causing inflammatory reactions. However, recent investigations have unveiled that not only the infiltrating immune-related cells, but resident kidney cells, including glomerular mesangial cells, podocytes, macrophage-like cells, tubular epithelial cells and endothelial cells, may also actively participate in the inflammatory and immunological reactions in the kidney. Furthermore, the adaptive immune cells that are infiltrated are genetically restricted to autoimmune predilection. The autoantibodies commonly found in SLE, including anti-dsDNA, are cross-reacting with not only a broad spectrum of chromatin substances, but also extracellular matrix components, including α-actinin, annexin II, laminin, collagen III and IV, and heparan sulfate proteoglycan. Besides, the glycosylation on the Fab portion of IgG anti-dsDNA antibodies can also affect the pathogenic properties of the autoantibodies in that α-2,6-sialylation alleviates, whereas fucosylation aggravates their nephritogenic activity. Some of the coexisting autoantibodies, including anti-cardiolipin, anti-C1q, anti-ribosomal P autoantibodies, may also enhance the pathogenic role of anti-dsDNA antibodies. In clinical practice, the identification of useful biomarkers for diagnosing, monitoring, and following up on LN is quite important for its treatments. The development of a more specific therapeutic strategy to target the pathogenic factors of LN is also critical. We will discuss these issues in detail in the present article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Youh Tsai
- Division of Immunology & Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University Hospital & College of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 24352, Taiwan
| | - Ko-Jen Li
- Division of Rheumatology, Immunology & Allergy, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei 106319, Taiwan
| | - Chieh-Yu Shen
- Division of Rheumatology, Immunology & Allergy, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei 106319, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Hsun Lu
- Division of Rheumatology, Immunology & Allergy, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei 106319, Taiwan
| | - Hui-Ting Lee
- MacKay Memorial Hospital & MacKay Medical College, New Taipei City 25245, Taiwan
| | - Tsai-Hung Wu
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, National Yang-Ming Chiao-Tung University, Taipei 112304, Taiwan
| | - Yee-Yung Ng
- Department of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University Hospital & College of Medicine, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 24352, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Po Tsao
- Division of Holistic and Multidisciplinary Medicine, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, National Yang-Ming Chiao-Tung University, Taipei 112304, Taiwan
| | - Song-Chou Hsieh
- Division of Rheumatology, Immunology & Allergy, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei 106319, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Li Yu
- Division of Rheumatology, Immunology & Allergy, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei 106319, Taiwan
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Abstract
Despite the continuing development of immunomodulatory agents and supportive care, the prognosis associated with lupus nephritis (LN) has not improved substantially in the past decade, with end-stage kidney disease still developing in 5-30% of patients within 10 years of LN diagnosis. Moreover, inter-ethnic variation in the tolerance of, clinical response to and level of evidence regarding various therapeutic regimens for LN has led to variation in treatment prioritization in different international recommendations. Modalities that better preserve kidney function and reduce the toxicities of concomitant glucocorticoids are unmet needs in the development of therapeutics for LN. In addition to the conventional recommended therapies for LN, there are newly approved treatments as well as investigational drugs in the pipeline, including the newer generation calcineurin inhibitors and biologic agents. In view of the heterogeneity of LN in terms of clinical presentation and prognosis, the choice of therapies depends on a number of clinical considerations. Molecular profiling, gene-signature fingerprints and urine proteomic panels might enhance the accuracy of patient stratification for treatment personalization in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi Chiu Mok
- Department of Medicine, Tuen Mun Hospital, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Y K Onno Teng
- Center of Expertise for Lupus-, Vasculitis- and Complement-mediated systemic diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Nephrology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Ramesh Saxena
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Nephrology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Yoshiya Tanaka
- The First Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Kitakyushu, Japan
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Mok CC. Targeted Small Molecules for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Drugs in the Pipeline. Drugs 2023; 83:479-496. [PMID: 36972009 PMCID: PMC10042116 DOI: 10.1007/s40265-023-01856-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Despite the uncertainty of the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus, novel small molecules targeting specific intracellular mechanisms of immune cells are being developed to reverse the pathophysiological processes. These targeted molecules have the advantages of convenient administration, lower production costs, and the lack of immunogenicity. The Janus kinases, Bruton's tyrosine kinases, and spleen tyrosine kinases are important enzymes for activating downstream signals from various receptors on immune cells that include cytokines, growth factor, hormones, Fc, CD40, and B-cell receptors. Suppression of these kinases impairs cellular activation, differentiation, and survival, leading to diminished cytokine actions and autoantibody secretion. Intracellular protein degradation by immunoproteasomes, levered by the cereblon E3 ubiquitin ligase complex, is an essential process for the regulation of cellular functions and survival. Modulation of the immunoproteasomes and cereblon leads to depletion of long-lived plasma cells, reduced plasmablast differentiation, and production of autoantibodies and interferon-α. The sphingosine 1-phosphate/sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor-1 pathway is responsible for lymphocyte trafficking, regulatory T-cell/Th17 cell homeostasis, and vascular permeability. Sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor-1 modulators limit the trafficking of autoreactive lymphocytes across the blood-brain barrier, increase regulatory T-cell function, and decrease production of autoantibodies and type I interferons. This article summarizes the development of these targeted small molecules in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus, and the future prospect for precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi Chiu Mok
- Department of Medicine, Tuen Mun Hospital, Tsing Chung Koon Road, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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Kimura T, Ikeuchi H, Yoshino M, Sakate R, Maruyama S, Narita I, Hiromura K. Profiling of kidney involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus by deep learning using the National Database of Designated Incurable Diseases of Japan. Clin Exp Nephrol 2023. [PMID: 36929044 DOI: 10.1007/s10157-023-02337-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Kidney involvement frequently occurs in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and its clinical manifestations are complicated. We profiled kidney involvement in SLE patients using deep learning based on data from the National Database of Designated Incurable Diseases of Japan. METHODS We analyzed the cross-sectional data of 1655 patients with SLE whose Personal Clinical Records were newly registered between 2015 and 2017. We trained an artificial neural network using clinical data, and the extracted characteristics were evaluated using an autoencoder. We tested the difference of population proportions to analyze the correlation between the presence or absence of kidney involvement and that of other clinical manifestations. RESULTS Data of patients with SLE were compressed in a feature space in which the anti-double-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (anti-dsDNA) antibody titer, antinuclear antibody titer, or white blood cell count contributed significantly to distinguishing patients. Many SLE manifestations were accompanied by kidney involvement, whereas in a subgroup of patients with high anti-dsDNA antibody titers and low antinuclear antibody titers, kidney involvement was positively and negatively correlated with hemolytic anemia and inflammatory manifestations, respectively. CONCLUSION Although there are various combinations of SLE manifestations, our study revealed that some of them are specific to kidney involvement. SLE profiles extracted from the objective analysis will be useful for categorizing SLE manifestations.
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Lee DJ, Tsai PH, Chen CC, Dai YH. Incorporating knowledge of disease-defining hub genes and regulatory network into a machine learning-based model for predicting treatment response in lupus nephritis after the first renal flare. J Transl Med 2023; 21:76. [PMID: 36737814 PMCID: PMC9898995 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-023-03931-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Identifying candidates responsive to treatment is important in lupus nephritis (LN) at the renal flare (RF) because an effective treatment can lower the risk of progression to end-stage kidney disease. However, machine learning (ML)-based models that address this issue are lacking. METHODS Transcriptomic profiles based on DNA microarray data were extracted from the GSE32591 and GSE112943 datasets. Comprehensive bioinformatics analyses were performed to identify disease-defining genes (DDGs). Peripheral blood samples (GSE81622, GSE99967, and GSE72326) were used to evaluate the effect of DDGs. Single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) scores of the DDGs were calculated and correlated with specific immunology genes listed in the nCounter panel. GSE60681 and GSE69438 were used to examine the ability of the DDGs to discriminate LN from other renal diseases. K-means clustering was used to obtain the separate gene sets. The clustering results were extended to data derived using the nCounter technique. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm was used to identify genes with high predictive value for treatment response after the first RF in each cluster. LASSO models with tenfold validation were built in GSE200306 and assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis with area under curve (AUC). The models were validated by using an independent dataset (GSE113342). RESULTS Forty-five hub genes specific to LN were identified. Eight optimal disease-defining clusters (DDCs) were identified in this study. Th1 and Th2 cell differentiation pathway was significantly enriched in DDC-6. LCK in DDC-6, whose expression positively correlated with various subsets of T cell infiltrations, was found to be differentially expressed between responders and non-responders and was ranked high in regulatory network analysis. Based on DDC-6, the prediction model had the best performance (AUC: 0.75; 95% confidence interval: 0.44-1 in the testing set) and high precision (0.83), recall (0.71), and F1 score (0.77) in the validation dataset. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates that incorporating knowledge of biological phenotypes into the ML model is feasible for evaluating treatment response after the first RF in LN. This knowledge-based incorporation improves the model's transparency and performance. In addition, LCK may serve as a biomarker for T-cell infiltration and a therapeutic target in LN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ding-Jie Lee
- grid.260565.20000 0004 0634 0356Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ping-Huang Tsai
- grid.260565.20000 0004 0634 0356Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Chou Chen
- grid.260565.20000 0004 0634 0356Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan ,grid.260565.20000 0004 0634 0356Department of Internal Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital Songshan Branch, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yang-Hong Dai
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.
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14
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Kronbichler A, Bajema I, Geetha D, Säemann M. Novel aspects in the pathophysiology and diagnosis of glomerular diseases. Ann Rheum Dis 2022; 82:585-593. [PMID: 36535746 DOI: 10.1136/ard-2022-222495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Immune deposits/complexes are detected in a multitude of tissues in autoimmune disorders, but no organ has attracted as much attention as the kidney. Several kidney diseases are characterised by the presence of specific configurations of such deposits, and many of them are under a 'shared care' between rheumatologists and nephrologists. This review focuses on five different diseases commonly encountered in rheumatological and nephrological practice, namely IgA vasculitis, lupus nephritis, cryoglobulinaemia, anti-glomerular basement membrane disease and anti-neutrophil cytoplasm-antibody glomerulonephritis. They differ in disease aetiopathogenesis, but also the potential speed of kidney function decline, the responsiveness to immunosuppression/immunomodulation and the deposition of immune deposits/complexes. To date, it remains unclear if deposits are causing a specific disease or aim to abrogate inflammatory cascades responsible for tissue damage, such as neutrophil extracellular traps or the complement system. In principle, immunosuppressive therapies have not been developed to tackle immune deposits/complexes, and repeated kidney biopsy studies found persistence of deposits despite reduction of active inflammation, again highlighting the uncertainty about their involvement in tissue damage. In these studies, a progression of active lesions to chronic changes such as glomerulosclerosis was frequently reported. Novel therapeutic approaches aim to mitigate these changes more efficiently and rapidly. Several new agents, such as avacopan, an oral C5aR1 inhibitor, or imlifidase, that dissolves IgG within minutes, are more specifically reducing inflammatory cascades in the kidney and repeat tissue sampling might help to understand their impact on immune cell deposition and finally kidney function recovery and potential impact of immune complexes/deposits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Kronbichler
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK .,Vasculitis and Lupus Service, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ingeborg Bajema
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden and Department of Pathology and Medical Biology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Duvuru Geetha
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Marcus Säemann
- 6th Medical Department, Nephrology and Dialysis, Clinic Ottakring, Vienna, Austria.,Medical Faculty, Sigmund Freud University, Vienna, Austria
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15
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Ijima S, Saito Y, Nagaoka K, Yamamoto S, Sato T, Miura N, Iwamoto T, Miyajima M, Chikenji TS. Fisetin reduces the senescent tubular epithelial cell burden and also inhibits proliferative fibroblasts in murine lupus nephritis. Front Immunol 2022; 13:960601. [PMID: 36466895 PMCID: PMC9714549 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.960601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disease characterized by the involvement of multiple organs. Lupus nephritis (LN) is a major risk factor for overall morbidity and mortality in SLE patients. Hence, designing effective drugs is pivotal for treating individuals with LN. Fisetin plays a senolytic role by specifically eliminating senescent cells, inhibiting cell proliferation, and exerting anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and anti-tumorigenic effects. However, limited research has been conducted on the utility and therapeutic mechanisms of fisetin in chronic inflammation. Similarly, whether the effects of fisetin depend on cell type remains unclear. In this study, we found that LN-prone MRL/lpr mice demonstrated accumulation of Ki-67-positive myofibroblasts and p15INK4B-positive senescent tubular epithelial cells (TECs) that highly expressed transforming growth factor β (TGF-β). TGF-β stimulation induced senescence of NRK-52E renal TECs and proliferation of NRK-49F renal fibroblasts, suggesting that TGF-β promotes senescence and proliferation in a cell type-dependent manner, which is inhibited by fisetin treatment in vitro. Furthermore, fisetin treatment in vivo reduced the number of senescent TECs and myofibroblasts, which attenuated kidney fibrosis, reduced senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) expression, and increased TEC proliferation. These data suggest that the effects of fisetin vary depending on the cell type and may have therapeutic effects in complex and diverse LN pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shogo Ijima
- Department of Oral Surgery, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Yuki Saito
- Department of Anatomy, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Kentaro Nagaoka
- Department of Anatomy, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Sena Yamamoto
- Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Tsukasa Sato
- Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Norihiro Miura
- Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Taiki Iwamoto
- Department of Anatomy, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Maki Miyajima
- Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Takako S. Chikenji
- Department of Anatomy, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
- Graduate School of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
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16
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Jackson SW, Alpers CE. Lupus nephritis transcriptomics across space and time. Kidney Int 2022; 102:694-696. [PMID: 36150761 DOI: 10.1016/j.kint.2022.06.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Current immunosuppression regimens for lupus nephritis are incompletely effective, placing patients at risk for poor long-term outcomes. This emphasizes the need to dissect pathogenic mechanisms in lupus nephritis, to inform the development of targeted therapies. In this issue of Kidney International, Parikh et al. performed transcriptomic analysis of pretreatment and posttreatment protocol kidney biopsies, segregated into glomerular and tubulointerstitial compartments, to identify candidate molecular pathways distinguishing treatment responders and nonresponders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaun W Jackson
- Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Charles E Alpers
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington, USA.
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17
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Allison SJ. Determining treatment response in lupus nephritis. Nat Rev Nephrol 2022; 18:543. [PMID: 35879531 DOI: 10.1038/s41581-022-00611-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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