Correlation among Serum sMICA,sMICB Levels,Autoantibody Expression and Disease Activity in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Objective To investigate the relationship among circulating soluble major histocompatibility complex class Ⅰ-related chain A(sMICA),soluble major histocompatibility complex class Ⅰ-related chain B(sMICB),the activity of systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE)and autoantibodies.Methods A total of 156 SLE patients(SLE group)and 103 healthy volunteers(control group)who underwent physical examination in outpatient physical examination center were selected from the Qianjiang Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing University from January 2020 to January 2023.According to SLE disease activity score(SLEDAI),these SLE patients were divided into mild activity group(n=43),moderate activity group(n=69),and severe activity group(n=44).Serum levels of sMICA and sMICB,and the proportion of autoantibodies and peripheral blood NK cells were detected.Spearman or Pearson method was used to analyze the correlation among sMICA,sMICB,score,autoantibodies and peripheral blood NK cells proportion.Receiver operating characteristics(ROC)curve was used to evaluate the value of sMICA and sMICB in the diagnosis of SLE activity.Results Serum sMICA(173.65±23.92 pg/ml)and sMICB(96.35±15.74 pg/ml)levels in SLE group were higher than those in control group(32.51±6.27 pg/ml,12.03±2.47 pg/ml),while the proportion of CD3-CD56+NK cells(12.02%±2.65%)in peripheral blood was lower than that in control group(18.35%±3.71%),and the differences were statistically significant(t=58.498,53.897,-16.010,all P<0.05).Serum sMICA and sMICB levels in severe active group were higher than those in moderately active group and mildly active group(t=8.192,12.352;19.652,23.742,all P<0.05),and the proportion of CD3-CD56+NK cells in peripheral blood was lower than that in moderate and mild active groups(t=8.154,10.658,P<0.05).The differences in positive rates of anti-dsDNA antibody,anti-nuclear antibody,anti-nucleosome antibody and anti-histone antibody in SLE patients with different disease activities were significant(x2=8.795,7.216,7.539,8.946,all P<0.05).Serum sMICA and sMICB levels in SLE patients were positively correlated with SLED AI score,anti-dsDNA antibody,anti-nuclear antibody,anti-nucleosome antibody and anti-histone antibody(r=0.206~0.402,all P<0.05),and negatively correlated with the proportion of CD3-CD56+NK cells in peripheral blood(r=-0.563,-0.427,all P<0.05).The areas under the curve of SLE in severe active group diagnosed by sMICA and sMICB alone were 0.652 and 0.704,respectively.The area under the curve of SLE in severe active group diagnosed by sMICA and sMICB combined with SLE was 0.812,which was higher than that by the single diagnosis(Z=3.050,2.346,all P<0.05).Conclusion The increased serum sMICA and sMICB levels in SLE patients were associated with the increased positive rate of SLE autoantibodies,the decreased proportion of NK cells in peripheral blood and the enhanced disease activity,which could be used as potential markers of SLE.
systemic lupus erythematosusautoantibodysoluble major histocompatibility complex class Ⅰ-related chain Asoluble major histocompatibility complex class Ⅰ-related chain Bnatural killer cell