Abstract
Aim of the Work: The aim of this work is to determine serum levels of A Proliferation Inducing Ligand (APRIL) in patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and to correlate these levels with the clinical and laboratory parameters of the disease activity.
Methodology: Serum levels of APRIL were measured using an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 30 patients with SLE and 20 healthy subjects matched in age and sex as a control group. All patients were subjected to full history taking, thorough clinical examination and laboratory investigations with stress on disease activity in SLE patients which assessed by the British Isles Lupus Assessment Group (BILAG) index and SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) and results were correlated with serum APRIL levels.
Results: significantly higher serum APRIL levels were observed in SLE patients compared to control group (P