Association of antibodies against myelin and neuronal antigens with neuroinflammation in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objectives: To determine frequency and syndrome specificity of novel and known nervous system (NS)-directed antibodies in a large, unbiased cohort of SLE patients in the Swiss SLE Cohort Study.

Methods: This retrospective pilot study included 174 patients in a cross-sectional and 102 in a longitudinal study. Antibodies against 12 NS antigens [myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG), neurofascin 186 (NF186), aquaporin-4 (AQP4), N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (subunit NR1) (NMDAR-NR1), α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (subunits 1 and 2) (AMPAR1/2), gamma-aminobutyric acid B receptor (subunits B1 and B2) (GABABR1/2), glutamate decarboxylase 65 (GAD65), glycine receptor (GlyR), contactin-associated protein-like 2 (CASPR2), leucine-rich glioma-inactivated 1 (LGI1), metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) and dipeptidyl-peptidase-like protein 6 (DPPX)] were screened with validated cell-based assays and correlated with clinical and diagnostic findings.

Bidirectional signalling between EphA2 and ephrinA1 increases tubular cell attachment, laminin secretion and modulates erythropoietin expression after renal hypoxic injury.

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common in hospitalized patients and has a poor prognosis, the severity of AKI being linked to progression to chronic kidney disease. This stresses the need to search for protective mechanisms during the acute phase. We investigated kidney repair after hypoxic injury using a rat model of renal artery branch ligation, which led to an oxygen gradient vertical to the corticomedullary axis.

Rapidly progressive lupus nephritis with extremely high levels of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies.

A 43-year-old woman, with a 3-month history of fatigue, anaemia and swollen lymph nodes, underwent biopsy of a lymph node, which revealed reactive lymphadenopathy. Due to an increased serum creatinine concentration and severe proteinuria, a kidney biopsy was performed, which revealed diffuse, segmental, proliferative, immune-complex glomerulonephritis with crescents. Electron microscopy showed tubulo-reticular structures within one endothelial cell.

Recurrent bone fractures due to tenofovir-induced renal phosphate wasting.

A 42-y-old HIV-infected man suffered from several stress fractures due to tenofovir-induced proximal tubular injury. Laboratory examination revealed hypophosphatemia due to renal phosphate wasting. Therefore, more attention has to be paid to the monitoring of serum phosphate and alkaline phosphatase levels, since tenofovir-related nephrotoxicity increases the risk of osteomalacia.

Serum cytokine profile in patients with active lupus nephritis.

Purpose: Determination of disease activity of lupus nephritis remains challenging. Since cytokines play a role as inflammatory mediators extending renal injury, measuring serum cytokine levels might help in the clinical assessment of patients with lupus nephritis. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic value of a panel of serum cytokines in patients with active lupus nephritis.