RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Relationship of Intrarenal Gene Expression and the Histological Class of Lupus Nephritis — A Study on Repeat Renal Biopsy JF The Journal of Rheumatology JO J Rheumatol FD The Journal of Rheumatology SP 1942 OP 1947 DO 10.3899/jrheum.120177 VO 39 IS 10 A1 JIANXIN LU A1 CHEUK-CHUN SZETO A1 LAI-SHAN TAM A1 FERNAND MAC-MOUNE LAI A1 EDMUND KWOK-MING LI A1 KAI-MING CHOW A1 PHILIP KAM-TAO LI A1 BONNIE CHING-HA KWAN YR 2012 UL http://www.jrheum.org/content/39/10/1942.abstract AB Objective. To study the role of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK)/Fn14 and the interferon-inducible protein (IP-10)/CXCR3 axis in lupus nephritis (LN). Methods. We studied 113 patients with LN who had had repeat renal biopsies. Glomerular and tubulointerstitial messenger RNA expression of TWEAK, Fn14, IP-10, and CXCR3 were quantified. Results. Glomerular Fn14 expression decreased when changed from proliferative or mixed nephritis to membranous nephropathy (p = 0.016), and increased when changed from membranous to proliferative or mixed nephritis (p = 0.0006). On the other hand, tubulointerstitial TWEAK expression decreased when changed from proliferative or mixed nephritis to membranous nephropathy (p = 0.004), and increased when changed from membranous nephropathy to proliferative nephritis (p = 0.010). Tubulointerstitial IP-10 expression decreased when changed from proliferative or mixed nephritis to membranous nephropathy (p < 0.0001). Histological activity index correlated significantly with the glomerular expression of Fn14 (r = 0.421, p < 0.0001) and tubulointerstitial expression of TWEAK (r = 0.413, p < 0.0001) and IP-10 (r = 0.472, p < 0.0001). Conclusion. Glomerular Fn14 and tubulointerstitial TWEAK and IP-10 expression appeared to have consistent changes in relation to the histological class of LN and correlated with the histological activity index. Our findings suggest a specific role of these genes in the pathogenesis of LN.