Association of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) gene polymorphism with lupus nephritis in Egyptian patients.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIM

Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) is a member of CC chemokine that plays an important role in the recruitment of monocytes/macrophages into renal tubulointerstitium. A biallelic A/G polymorphism at position ∼2518 in the MCP-1 gene was found to regulate MCP-1 expression. MCP-1 and its A/G gene polymorphism have been implicated in the pathogenesis of some renal diseases. The aim of the study was to investigate the role of the MCP-1 gene polymorphism as early predictors of the development of glomerulonephropathy in SLE patients. We also aimed to measure the serum and urinary levels of MCP-1 in patients with SLE, to find out its relation to clinical disease activity.

METHODS

140 SLE patients (100 with nephritis and 40 without nephritis) and 80 controls were included in this study. MCP-1 gene polymorphism was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction. Serum and urine MCP-1 level were measured using high-sensitivity enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

RESULTS

The A/A genotype was more common in controls than in SLE patients, whereas both the A/G (P<0.000) and G/G (P<0.000) genotypes were more frequent in SLE patients. Carriers of G allele of the MCP-1 ∼2518 polymorphism had more than 7 fold increased risk to develop glomerulo-nephropathy in patients with SLE. High MCP-1 circulating levels production from patients with A/G and G/G genotypes was significantly higher than in A/A genotype. In addition there were significant differences in the mean levels of serum MCP-1 (P<0.001) and urinary MCP-1 (P<0.001) between patients and controls.

CONCLUSION

The present study provides a new evidence that the presence of MCP-1 A (-2518) G gene polymorphism and high circulating MCP-1 levels can play an important role in the development of SLE and nephropathy in Egyptians.