UBIQUITIN C-TERMINAL HYDROLASE L1 (UCHL1) ANTIBODY PRODUCTION IN NEPHROTIC SYNDROME

Abstract BACKGROUND AND AIMS Recently, evidence has emerged that the ubiquitin system, which is involved in extracellular protein degradation, is most susceptible to damage in podocytes in cases of severe nephritis. We studied anti-ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL1) antibodies in patients with glomerulonephritis and proteinuria. METHOD Sixty-five patients with CGN were included in our study. Forty-two patients had nephrotic syndrome, and twenty-three did not. Serum levels of anti-UCHL1 antibodies were measured by ELISA. RESULTS The levels of anti-UCHL1 antibodies were significantly higher in FSGS patients than in MCD, IgA nephropathy, membranous nephropathy or membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis patients and healthy people. The levels of UCHL1 antibodies in serum did not correlate with 24-h proteinuria, eGFR, blood pressure, glomerulosclerosis percentage or area of tubulointerstitial fibrosis. During the development of the ROC curve {[AUC = 0.839 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.740–0.937]} for FSGS versus other forms of nephritides, a readjustment of the sensitivity of 81.3% and specificity of 72.7% were established (Fig. 1). A former increase in anti-UCHL1 antibody levels above 0.749 ng/mL may be a marker of FSGS (Fig. 1). CONCLUSION An increase in the level of anti-UCHL1 antibodies in the serum was noted in FSGS, which suggests that these antibodies could be a potential biomarker for FSGS patients.