Aim: To investigate the changes of serum BAFF and IL-21 levels in the patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and explore their clinical significance.
Methods: The serum levels of BAFF and IL-21 were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
Results: The levels of serum BAFF and IL-21 in the patients with SLE were obviously higher than those in healthy control group. The BAFF level in the group of lupus nephritis (LN) with renal biopsy increased with pathologic aggravation and the IL-21 level in II, III, IV LN also increased, with the most obviously change in the type IV. The levels of BAFF and IL-21 obviously increased in SLE patients with Sjogren's syndrome (SS), but the levels of BAFF and IL-21 obviously tended to decrease in the patients after glucocorticosteroid treatment for a week, with the most significant decrease in BAFF. The changes of BAFF and IL-21 were related to major immune indexes in the patients with SLE. There was positive correlation between BAFF and IL-21 in IV LN.
Conclusion: The levels of serum BAFF and IL-21 level are increased in the patients with SLE. The dysfunction and synergistic effect of T and B lymphocytes play different roles in the patients with different organ damage and pathoprocess respectively.