Published in:
Open Access
01-07-2012 | Poster presentation
Plasma osteopontin as a marker for future organ damage in pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors:
Ornella J Rullo, Jennifer MP Woo, Alice DC Hoftman, Miriam F Parsa, Gil Amarilyo, Deborah K McCurdy, Betty P Tsao
Published in:
Pediatric Rheumatology
|
Special Issue 1/2012
Login to get access
Excerpt
Osteopontin (OPN) is a secreted phosphoprotein functioning in monocyte and T cell adhesion and migration. Expression of OPN in alternatively-activated macrophages has been implicated in post-inflammatory fibrosis of lung and kidney. In our previously conducted cross-sectional study of 72 pediatric SLE patients (pSLE; age of onset <18 years), increased circulating plasma OPN (cOPN) was observed in pSLE compared with healthy controls, and was associated of with ACR/SLICC damage index (SDI) scores >1 (p = 0.0007 and 0.001, respectively), although there was no association with SLEDAI. We therefore propose that OPN is a marker for pSLE disease progression, and that increased cOPN levels may predict the development of organ damage. …
