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The following is a summary of “Serum levels of free light chains and syndecan-1 in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus,” published in the November 2024 issue of Rheumatology by Carnazzo et al.
Systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs) involve chronic inflammation. Reliable biomarkers are essential for diagnosis, monitoring, and therapy.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to analyze serum Syndecan-1 (SDC-1) and free light chains (FLC) as biomarkers for SARDs.
They analyzed serum samples from 60 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 60 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and 50 healthy donors (HD). K- and λ-FLCs were measured by turbidimetric assay, and SDC-1 levels by ELISA. Statistical tests included Kruskal-Wallis, Wilcoxon-Mann–Whitney U, multivariable linear regression, and Spearman’s correlation to compare levels and explore correlations.
The results showed that SDC-1, κ-FLC, and λ-FLC were significantly higher in patients with RA and SLE vs HD (P<0.001), with no significant differences in the κ/λ ratio (P=0.4). Age differences were noted, but multivariate regression indicated that RA and SLE were significantly linked to these markers, with minimal age confounding. A significant correlation was observed between FLC markers across all groups, but no correlation was found between SDC-1 and FLCs, or between these markers and age or disease activity indices.
The study concluded that elevated FLCs and SDC-1 in patients with RA and SLE support their potential as biomarkers for SARDs and indicate plasma cell activation.
Source: academic.oup.com/rheumatology/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/rheumatology/keae623/7885172
