Systemic lupus erythematosus is an autoimmune disease involving multiple organs of the body. Lupus nephritis is one of the most serious organ manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus. Vimentin, a member of the intermediate filament protein family, is involved in the pathogenesis of many autoimmune diseases, including lupus nephritis. More and more studies have shown that vimentin plays an important role in the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis, and has an important influence on the disease development, treatment and prognosis of lupus nephritis. This review focuses on the structure, function and post-translational modification of vimentin, the relationship between vimentin and the pathogenesis of lupus nephritis, and the significance of vimentin expression levels in renal tissues, serum and urine, in order to provide theoretical basis for future mechanism research and clinical application.
Objective To assess the effectiveness and safety of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) in the treatment of proliferative lupus nephritis. Methods We searched CBM (November 1979 to February 2006), Chinese Cochrane Centre Database (2005), The Cochrane Library (Issue 4, 2005), MEDLINE (November 1966 to February 2006) and EMBASE (1975 to February 2006) for randomize controlled trials. Data were extracted and analyzed using The Cochrane Collaboration’s RevMan 4.2.7. Results Nine randomize controlled trials involving 512 patients met the inclusion criteria. The meta-analysis showed that the total clinical effective rate and complete remission rate were not significantly higher for MMF than for cyclophosphamide, azathioprine, or both. Renal survival rate and relapse rate of MMF were not significantly different from those for cyclophosphamide, azathioprine, or both. Patient survival rate and safety of MMF were significantly improved compared with cyclophosphamide, azathioprine, or both. Conclusion More large-scale multi-center randomized trials are needed to investigate the role of MMF in the treatment of proliferative lupus nephritis.
purpose To study the visual electrophysiological changes in patients with chronic glomerulonephritis. Methods The visual evoked potentials(VEP) and electroretinogram(ERG) of 26 subjects with chronic glomerulonephritis in 51 eyes were recorded. Results Ours studies showed the patients with chronic glomerulonephritis had pathologic visual electrophysiologic abnormalities.The N 75 peak latency,b wave peak latency O 1 peak latency and total amplitude of OPs in chronic glomerulonephritis patients without fundus sign showed remarkable difference. Conclusion These changes suggested visual electrophysiological examination may be valuable in early diagnosis of retinal disfunction in patients with chronic glomerulonephritis. (Chin J Ocul Fundus Dis,1998,14:162-164)
Objective By means of evidence-based clinical practice, to find more effective treatment for a hepatitis B related nephritis patient with renal failure. Methods The following databases as Up to Date (May 2011), The Cochrane Library (Issue 5, 2011), PubMed (1978 to 2011) and CNKI (1978 to 2011) were searched to identify systematic reviews and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of treating hepatitis B related nephritis with glucocorticoid, immunosuppressor or antiviral therapies, and the quality of collected clinical evidence was evaluated by using GRADEpro software. Results The glucocorticoid or combined immunosuppressors was not recommended for existing adverse effects and not acting on the remission of hepatitis B related nephritis and reduction of proteinuria. However, the antiviral therapy used alone was recommended for acting on the remission of hepatitis B related nephritis and the reduction of proteinuria. In view of adverse effects and expensive price of interferon, the nucleoside analogue antiviral agent was suggested. Considering the renal toxicity of adefovir and tenofovir, and possible drug-resistance of lamivudine, the entecavir (0.5 mg qd) was finally selected with patient’s agreement, and the supporting therapies such as lowering blood pressure, and protecting the kidney and liver were adopted continually. After one month treatment, 24-hour urinary protein got reduced, serum albumin got increased, kidney function got stable, and hepatitis B virus DNA quantity got reduced. Conclusion For treating hepatitis B related nephritis with kidney failure, entacavir can reduce 24-hour urinary protein, raise serum albumin, stabilize kidney function and reduce hepatitis B virus DNA in a short term, but its long-term efficacy still requires further studies.