Periostin stains correlated with chronicity index scores and renal functions in lupus nephritis patients and may be an effective biomarker, according to Peepattra Wantanasiri and her associates.
The most common finding was periglomerular staining of periostin, with positive periostin stains also common in areas of fibrosis. The periostin staining score correlated well with the chronicity index score of renal pathology. Periostin was also associated with various negative renal outcomes such as serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, and estimated glomerular filtration rate. There was a significant difference in serum creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate between groups with high and low levels of staining.
“The prognosis of renal function reduction from periostin staining suggested that periostin staining may predict the worsening of injured kidney progression rather than routine staining,” the researchers observed.
Read the full article at: Lupus (2015 Jan. 14 [doi:10.1177/0961203314566634]).