Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33459955›Full record

Observational studyInternational urology and nephrology2021

Urinary MCP-1 and TWEAK as non-invasive markers of disease activity and treatment response in patients with lupus nephritis in South Africa.

Mothusi W Moloi, Jody A Rusch, Fierdoz Omar, Udeme Ekrikpo, Collet Dandara, Aminu K Bello, David Jayne, Ikechi G Okpechi

Abstract readObservational Study
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in International urology and nephrology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed
1.5field-weighted citation impact, top 18% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed, 16 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Evaluation of the effect of therapeutic plasma exchange on serum cytokine levels in pediatric intensive care unit.Therapeutic apheresis and dialysis : official peer-reviewed journal of the International Society for Apheresis, the Japanese Society for Apheresis, the Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 5 institutions in 5 countries.

Mothusi W MoloiDivision of Nephrology and Hypertension, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Jody A RuschDivision of Chemical Pathology, University of Cape Town and National Health Laboratory Services (NHLS), Cape Town, South Africa.
Fierdoz OmarDivision of Chemical Pathology, University of Cape Town and National Health Laboratory Services (NHLS), Cape Town, South Africa.
Udeme EkrikpoDivision of Nephrology and Hypertension, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Collet DandaraDivision of Human Genetics, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Aminu K BelloDepartment of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.
David JayneDepartment of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Ikechi G OkpechiDivision of Nephrology and Hypertension, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. Ikechi.Okpechi@uct.ac.za.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6545-9715
National Health Laboratory Service · ZAUniversity of Alberta · CAUniversity of Cape Town · ZAUniversity of Botswana · BWUniversity of Cambridge · GB

Funding

National Research Foundation CPRR150703122950
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTreatment of patients with lupus nephritis (LN) requires judicious use of immunosuppression. Novel biomarkers may be useful for monitoring disease activity and treatment response. We assessed the utility of urinary monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (uMCP-1) and urinary tumour necrosis factor-like weak inducer of apoptosis (uTWEAK) for disease activity and treatment response monitoring in South Africans with LN.

methodsWe recruited consenting patients with active LN confirmed on kidney biopsy. Urinary levels of MCP-1 and TWEAK were assayed at baseline and after completion of induction therapy using ELISA methods. We also collected relevant demographic, clinical and biochemical data for patients included in this study.

resultsThe mean age of patients in this study was 29.8 ± 10.7 years, 60% were patients of mixed ancestry, 70% had proliferative LN and mean spot urine proteinuria at baseline was 0.37 (0.18-0.59) g/mmolCr. At completion of induction therapy, the level of uMCP-1 had reduced to 314.5 (IQR: 197.0-622) pg/mgCr from a baseline of 1092.7 (IQR 578.6-1848) pg/mgCr (P = 0.06) while uTWEAK had reduced to 36.0 (IQR 17.0-88.0) pg/mgCr from 159.0 (IQR: 88.5-295.5) pg/mgCr (P = 0.03). For patients reaching early complete or partial remission (n = 17), both biomarkers had significantly declined in their urine: uMCP-1 (P = 0.018) and uTWEAK (P = 0.015). There was no reduction of both biomarkers in patients not achieving remission and no association between uMCP-1 or uTWEAK with renal histological features.

conclusionOur study shows that uMCP-1 and uTWEAK are elevated in patients with active LN, correlated with the remission status (response to treatment) at the end of induction therapy and can, therefore, be useful for monitoring disease activity and treatment response.

Indexed as

AdultBiomarkersChemokine CCL2Cytokine TWEAKFemaleHumansImmunosuppression TherapyLupus NephritisMaleProspective StudiesSouth AfricaTreatment OutcomeYoung AdultBiomarkersCCL2 protein, humanChemokine CCL2Cytokine TWEAKTNFSF12 protein, humanActivity indexChronicity indexLupus nephritisMCP-1TWEAKUrinary biomarkers

Identifiers

PMID33459955
OpenAlexW3120897193

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.