Utility of osteopontin in cerebrospinal fluid as a diagnostic marker for neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus

Lupus. 2019 Mar;28(3):414-422. doi: 10.1177/0961203319828818. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

Abstract

The whole protein of osteopontin (OPN full) and its cleaved form (OPN N-half) are involved in the immune response and the migration of immune cells to an inflammatory lesion. We have reported that serum OPN full and urine OPN N-half are elevated in lupus nephritis (LN). Neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE) is a refractory complication of SLE. To investigate whether OPN full and OPN N-half could serve as diagnostic markers for NPSLE, and to elucidate their role in NPSLE pathogenesis, the concentrations of OPN full and OPN N-half in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were measured in NPSLE and non-NPSLE patients. We found that the concentration of OPN full in the CSF was significantly higher in NPSLE than in non-NPSLE, and it decreased after treatment. When the cutoff value of OPN full in CSF was set to 963.4 ng/ml, the sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of NPSLE were 70% and 100%, respectively. The correlation analysis of OPN full, OPN N-half and various cytokines/chemokines suggested that the cytokines/chemokines could be divided into two clusters: cluster A, which contains OPN full and cluster B, which contains interleukin-6. OPN full in CSF could be a novel diagnostic marker for NPSLE.

Keywords: Cytokine assay; neuropsychiatric lupus; systemic lupus erythematosus.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Biomarkers / cerebrospinal fluid
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lupus Vasculitis, Central Nervous System / cerebrospinal fluid*
  • Lupus Vasculitis, Central Nervous System / diagnosis
  • Lupus Vasculitis, Central Nervous System / genetics
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Osteopontin / cerebrospinal fluid*
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • SPP1 protein, human
  • Osteopontin