Association Of FCRL3 Expression Levels With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Objective To compare the serum levels of Fc receptor-like 3(FCRL3) and the mRNA levels of FCRL3 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and healthy controls.Methods FCRL3 mRNA expression in PBMC from 37 SLE patients and 18 controls were detected by real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RTQ-PCR). FCRL3 serum concentration from 56 SLE patients and 19 controls was measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). SLE patients were selected from the Rheumatology Department of Anhui Provincial Hospital. General data and laboratory profiles were collected by self-designed questionnaire including the SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI). Statistic analyses were performed by SPSS 10.01 version. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Comparisons of the differences between different groups for continuous variables were made by the Student's t- test or Mann-whitney rank sum test. Spearman or Pearson correlation test were used to assess the correlation between two continuous variables.Results The expression of FCRL3 mRNA in PBMCs from SLE patients were significantly lower than those from health subjects (P=0.002). Nonetheless, there was no correalation between the expression of FCRL3 mRNA and SLEDAI. The serum FCRL3 levels of SLE patients were no significant difference when compared with the healthy controls. Additionly, no correlation was obseverd between the serum levels of FCRL3 and SLEDAI. Conclusion The current study found that there was a significant decrease in the expression of FCRL3 mRNA in SLE patients. However, no significant difference in serum FCRL3 levels was observed between SLE patients and healthy controls.