Serum Cytokines Th1, Th2, and Th17 Expression Profiling in Active Lupus Nephritis-IV: From a Southern Chinese Han Population

Table 1

Baseline demographic and laboratory parameters.

Characteristics	Group of patients			Healthy control	value
	LN-III ()	LN-IV ()	LN-V ()	HC ()
Age years	41.58 ± 5.66	35.28 ± 9.02	41.20 ± 14.34	337.37 ± 9.30	0.190
Sex F/M	12/0	29/3	4/1	21/3	0.417
SLEDAI	13.33 ± 2.8717	17.22 ± 3.53	15.8 ± 2.49	nd	0.003 (0.0006, 0.18, 0.3)
Urine protein, g/24 hrs	1.64 ± 0.37	3.1 ± 2.89	1.96 ± 1.06	nd	0.348
C3, g/L	0.45 ± 0.23	0.40 ± 0.24	0.37 ± 0.22	nd	0.756
C4, g/L	0.10 ± 0.07	0.12 ± 0.12	0.07 ± 0.06	nd	0.736
CysC, mg/L	1.90 ± 1.43	2.09 ± 0.84	1.76 ± 0.31	nd	0.065
dsDNA, Iu/mL	107.96 (57.14–150.41)	130.5 (22.93–600.8)	136.4 (87.34–447.7)	nd	0.781
NGAL, ng/mL	89.58 (15.37–251.22)	88.07 (27.01–190.55)	59.9 (28.84–106.68)	5.43 (3.83–10.17)	<0.0001 (0.91, 0.64, 0.81)

Ages and sex differences determined by Fischer test, then SLEDAI, C3, C4, 24-hour urine protein, and cystatin-C are expressed in mean ± SD. Kruskal-Wallis test was applied for groups analysis. SLEDAI: systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity index; significant differences were found in LN-IV () when compared with LN-III and LN-V. NGAL (neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin) was significantly elevated in all classes of LN when compared with healthy control () (nd = not determined; ns = not significant). LN-III compared with LN-IV, LN-IV compared with LN-V, and LN-III compared with LN-V. value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.