University of Houston researcher Chandra Mohan is reporting in Arthritis Research and Therapy that clotting proteins, both those that promote blood clots (pro-thrombotic) and those that work to dissipate them (thrombolytic), are elevated in the urine of patients who suffer from lupus nephritis (LN).
University of Houston researcher Chandra Mohan is reporting in Arthritis Research and Therapy that clotting proteins, both those that promote blood clots (pro-thrombotic) and those that work to dissipate them (thrombolytic), are elevated in the urine of patients who suffer from lupus nephritis (LN).
“Among the proteins examined, urine plasmin emerged as the strongest independent predictor of kidney function and renal disease status,” reports Mohan, Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Endowed Professor of biomedical engineering. “Urine biomarkers represent promising candidates for the early diagnosis as well as the monitoring of disease activity and therapeutic responses in lupus nephritis.” The discovery of the new biomarker for active LN opens the door for clinical monitoring of the disease.
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the body attacks its own tissues and organs. Inflammation from the disease can impact many different parts of the body including joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain and heart. Lupus nephritis is one of the most frequent and severe clinical manifestations of SLE, representing a leading cause of morbidity and mortality.
Read more at University of Houston
Photo: Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Endowed Professor of biomedical engineering Chandra Mohan reports that clotting proteins are elevated in the urine of patients with lupus nephritis. CREDIT: University of Houston
