Disease Markers

Research Article

Elevated Plasma α-Defensins (HNP1–3) Levels Correlated with IgA1 Glycosylation and Susceptibility to IgA Nephropathy

Table 1

Clinical and laboratory data for IgAN patients with different plasma α-defensins levels.


	All patients	Patients with low α-defensins plasma levels¹	Patients with high -defensins plasma levels²	P value

Age (years)	32.7 ± 10.5	32.5 ± 10.7	33.5 ± 9.8	0.614
Gender (male/female, %)	86 (50.9)/83 (49.1)	67 (51.1)/64 (48.9)	19 (50.0)/19 (50.0)	0.901
SBP (mmHg)	123.9 ± 16.9	124.8 ± 17.8	120.7 ± 13.3	0.184
DBP (mmHg)	79.5 ± 13.2	80.0 ± 13.8	77.8 ± 10.7	0.350
Neutrophil count (10⁹/L)	4.62 ± 2.00	4.49 ± 2.07	5.08 ± 1.71	0.147
Prodromal infection (%)	127 (75.1)/42 (24.9)	98 (74.8)/33 (25.2)	29 (76.3)/9 (23.7)	0.850
CRP (%)	112 (66.3)/7 (4.1)	82 (62.6)/5 (3.8)	30 (78.9)/2 (5.3)	0.918
ESR (mm/1st h)	18.1 ± 17.7	17.5 ± 16.9	19.8 ± 20.4	0.514
TG (mmol/L)	1.93 ± 1.51	1.98 ± 1.60	1.79 ± 1.11	0.499
TCHOL (mmol/L)	5.03 ± 1.50	4.98 ± 1.46	5.18 ± 1.663	0.457
HDL (mmol/L)	1.21 ± 0.57	1.23 ± 0.62	1.14 ± 0.33	0.384
LDL (mmol/L)	2.89 ± 0.98	2.83 ± 0.90	3.09 ± 1.19	0.153
Hyperlipidemia (%)	66 (39.1)/103 (60.9)	51 (38.9)/80 (61.1)	15 (39.5)/23 (60.5)	0.952
Uric acid (μmol/L)	356.7 ± 118.3	361.5 ± 119.0	340.2 ± 115.9	0.330
Scr (μmol/L)	104.8 ± 65.6	106.4 ± 71.6	99.3 ± 39.1	0.556
eGFR (mL/min per 1.73 m²)³	81.4 ± 27.8	80.9 ± 27.8	83.2 ± 28.2	0.654
Stage 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 CKD (%)	50 (29.6), 67 (39.6), 34 (20.1), 2 (1.2)	40 (30.5), 60 (45.8), 30 (22.9), 1 (0.8)	10 (26.3), 7 (18.4), 4 (10.5), 1 (2.6)	0.224
Gd-IgA1 (U/mL, median, IQR)	303.86 (231.43–396.02)	318.56 (242.80–405.67)	236.98 (203.10–350.01)	0.036
Total IgA (μg/mL, median, IQR)	2630.0 (2153.5–3333.5)	2658.0 (2167.0–3347.0)	2570.5 (2029.3–3365.3)	0.565
Plasma IgA1 (μg/mL, median, IQR)	169.64 (138.29–207.57)	164.3 (135.3–206.4)	187.56 (148.72–216.46)	0.318
Initial proteinuria (g/day)	1.98 ± 1.90	1.89 ± 1.65	2.32 ± 2.58	0.219
Urinary RBC (/)	286 ± 537	318 ± 599	184 ± 219	0.181
Gross hematuria (%)	129 (76.3)/40 (23.7)	99 (75.6)/32 (24.4)	30 (78.9)/8 (21.1)	0.667
24-hour UTP (g/day)	1.14 ± 1.06	1.13 ± 1.08	1.16 ± 1.02	0.886
Histological grading, I, II, III, IV, V⁴ (%)	17 (10.1), 0 (0), 58 (34.3), 71 (42.0), 23 (13.6)	10 (7.6), 0 (0), 43 (32.8), 58 (44.3), 20 (15.3)	7 (18.4), 0 (0), 15 (39.5), 13 (34.2), 3 (7.9)	0.129
Oxford classification
M (%)	54 (32.0), 112 (66.3)	38 (29.0)/92 (70.2)	16 (42.1)/20 (52.6)	0.085
E (%)	60 (35.5), 106 (62.7)	45 (34.4)/85 (64.9)	15 (39.5)/21 (55.3)	0.436
S (%)	45 (26.6), 121 (71.6)	36 (27.5)/94 (71.8)	9 (23.7)/27 (71.1)	0.748
T (%)	109 (64.5), 36 (21.3), 21 (12.4)	86 (65.6), 28 (21.4), 16 (12.2)	23 (60.5), 8 (22.2), 5 (13.2)	0.959
Therapy
ACE inhibitors or ARBs (%)	4 (2.4)/165 (97.6)	3 (2.3)/128 (97.7)	1 (2.6)/37 (97.4)	0.903
Prednisone (%)	79 (46.7)/90 (53.3)	65 (49.6)/66 (50.4)	14 (36.8)/24 (63.2)	0.165

SBP: systolic blood pressure; DBP diastolic blood pressure; CRP: C-reactive protein; ESR: erythrocyte sedimentation rate; TG: triglycerides; TCHOL: total cholesterol; HDL: high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; LDL: low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; Scr: serum creatinine; eGFR: estimate glomerular filtration rate; CKD: chronic kidney disease; 24-hour UTP: 24-hour total urine protein; Gd-IgA1: galactose-deficient IgA1; ACE: angiotensin-converting enzyme; ARB: angiotensin II receptor blocker.
¹Low plasma α-defensins levels were defined as levels below 78.42 ng/mL. ²High plasma α-defensins levels were defined as levels above 78.42 ng/mL. ³eGFR was calculated based on MDRD formula modified population. ⁴Histological grading was classified according to pathological proposed by Haas.