Plasma Soluble Urokinase Plasminogen Activator Receptor (supar) Levels in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE:Soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) is a biomarker of systemic inflammation. We aimed to characterize plasma suPAR levels in SLE patients.METHODS:We measured plasma suPAR, C reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) in 89 SLE patients and 29 healthy controls.RESULTS:suPAR and ESR values were higher in SLE than in controls, while CRP levels were comparable. ROC analysis of suPAR levels indicated a cut-off value of 5.70 ng/mL to distinguish patients with high disease activity (SLEDAI >8).CONCLUSION:suPAR might be an objective marker for identifying SLE patients with active disease.