Study of Osteopontin as a Marker of Arteriovenous Shunt Stenosis in Hemodialysis Patients.

Introduction: Although arteriovenous fistula (AVF) is the recommended access for hemodialysis (HD), it carries a high risk for stenosis. Since osteopontin (OPN) is implicated in the process of vascular calcification in HD patients, OPN may be a marker for AVF stenosis. The present study evaluated OPN as a potential marker of AVF stenosis in HD patients.

CD81 and CD19 as Marker of Activity in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus is systematic auto-immune disease characterized by abnormal activation of B cell with production of autoantibodies. Due to its heterogeneous course, there is a need for new markers to help in diagnosing and monitoring disease activity. The aim of this study was to identify the immunopathological role of CD19 and CD81 expression in patients with SLE and their correlation with the disease activity.