Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
Clin Chem Lab Med. 2013 May;51(5):1083-91. doi: 10.1515/cclm-2012-0521.
Decreased activity of serum desoxyribonuclease I (DNase I) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) has been reported, but its role as a biomarker in SLE is still unelucidated.
Seventy-seven SLE patients (aged 39.6 ± 13.1 years) were studied for serum DNase I activity, levels of antinuclear (ANA), anti-dsDNA [high-avidity ELISA, conventional ELISA and indirect immunofluorescence (IIF)], anti-nucleosome, anti-histone antibodies, complement components C3 and C4. SLE disease activity was evaluated by disease activity index (SLEDAI-2K). Thirty-five patients were serologically and clinically followed for 3-12 months (mean 5.6 ± 2.8). Thirty-seven healthy blood donors were the control group.
DNase I activity in SLE patients was lower than in healthy controls (p<0.01). DNase I activity was in positive correlation with SLEDAI-2K (p<0.01), levels of ANA, anti-dsDNA, anti-nucleosome and anti-histone antibodies (p<0.01) and in negative correlation with C3 concentration (p<0.05). The highest correlation was found between DNase I activity and anti-dsDNA concentrations determined by high-avidity ELISA (r=0.624), followed by IIF (r=0.541) and conventional ELISA (r=0.405). In the follow-up study, DNase I activity also correlated with SLEDAI-2K (p<0.01). SLE patients with low DNase I activity more frequently had SLE-specific cutaneous lesions (p<0.05).
Monitoring of DNase I activity simultaneously with SLEDAI-2K might be a useful tool in the follow-up of SLE. An increase of DNase I activity characterized relapse in most SLE patients, although it did not reach the levels of healthy individuals. A decrease of DNase I activity in SLE flare-ups might be a functional biomarker of a subset of patients with specific dysfunction of apoptotic chromatin degradation.
已有报道称，系统性红斑狼疮（SLE）患者血清脱氧核糖核酸酶 I（DNase I）活性降低，但它作为 SLE 生物标志物的作用仍不清楚。
研究了 77 例 SLE 患者（年龄 39.6±13.1 岁）的血清 DNase I 活性、抗核抗体（ANA）、抗双链 DNA [高亲和力 ELISA、常规 ELISA 和间接免疫荧光法（IIF）]、抗核小体、抗组蛋白抗体、补体成分 C3 和 C4。采用疾病活动指数（SLEDAI-2K）评估 SLE 疾病活动度。35 例患者进行了 3-12 个月（平均 5.6±2.8 个月）的血清学和临床随访。37 名健康献血者作为对照组。
SLE 患者的 DNase I 活性低于健康对照组（p<0.01）。DNase I 活性与 SLEDAI-2K 呈正相关（p<0.01），与 ANA、抗 dsDNA、抗核小体和抗组蛋白抗体水平呈正相关（p<0.01），与 C3 浓度呈负相关（p<0.05）。DNase I 活性与高亲和力 ELISA 测定的抗 dsDNA 浓度相关性最高（r=0.624），其次是 IIF（r=0.541）和常规 ELISA（r=0.405）。在随访研究中，DNase I 活性也与 SLEDAI-2K 相关（p<0.01）。DNase I 活性低的 SLE 患者更常出现 SLE 特异性皮肤损伤（p<0.05）。
同时监测 DNase I 活性和 SLEDAI-2K 可能是 SLE 随访的有用工具。大多数 SLE 患者的 DNase I 活性升高提示复发，但未达到健康个体的水平。SLE 发作时 DNase I 活性降低可能是一组患者凋亡染色质降解功能障碍的功能性生物标志物。
