New biomarkers of IgA nephropathy (IgAN) are needed for non-invasive diagnosis and appropriate treatment. There is emerging evidence that galactose deficient IgA1 (Gd-IgA1) is a pivotal molecule in the pathogenesis of IgAN. However, few studies have investigated the role of Gd-IgA1 as a biomarker in IgAN. In this study, we investigated the clinical relevance of serum Gd-IgA1 levels in patients with IgAN. Two hundred and thirty biopsy-proven IgAN patients, 74 disease controls (patients with non-IgAN nephropathy), and 15 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Levels of serum Gd-IgA1 were measured using an ELISA kit in serum samples obtained the day of renal biopsy. We compared levels of serum Gd-IgA1 according to the type of glomerular disease and analyzed the association between Gd-IgA1 levels and clinical and pathological parameters in patients with IgAN. We then divided IgAN patients into two groups according to Gd-IgA1 level and investigated the predictive value of Gd-IgA1 for progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Serum Gd-IgA1 levels were significantly higher in IgAN patients than disease controls and healthy controls. In patients with IgAN, serum Gd-IA1 levels were significantly correlated with estimated glomerular filtration rate, serum IgA level, and tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis. CKD progression was more frequent in IgAN patients with higher serum Gd-IgA1 levels than in those with lower serum Gd-IgA1 levels. Cox proportional hazard models showed that high GdIgA1 level was an independent risk factor for CKD progression after adjusting for several confounders. Our results suggest that serum Gd-IgA1 level is a useful diagnostic and prognostic marker in IgAN patients. Further studies with a larger sample size and longer follow-up duration are needed.
Keywords: IgA nephropathy; biomarker; galactose deficient IgA1.