THU0500 Soluble TAM (TYRO3, AXL, MER) Receptors and GAS6 Ligand in Patients with Juvenile Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (JSLE)

BackgroundTAM (Tyro3, Axl, Mer) kinases receptors and Gas6 ligand are pivotal regulators of innate immunity and responsible for the clearance of apoptotic cells. TAM receptors and Gas6 ligand were individually tested in adult onset lupus with different results.1-5ObjectivesTo quantify simultaneously soluble TAM receptors and Gas6 ligand in JSLE patients and evaluated the relation with disease activity parameters.MethodssTyro3, sAxl, sMer and Gas6 ligand were measured in sera from 44 JSLE patients (39 girls, mean age 14.2 yrs, ACR criteria), 14 gender and age-matched healthy individuals (11 girls, mean age 13.9 yrs) and 9 JIA patients as disease controls (4 girls, mean age 10.5, ACR criteria). Soluble TAM receptors and Gas6 ligand were quantified by commercial ELISA Kits following manufacturer's instructions. Disease activity parameters included SLEDAI score, anti-dsDNA (ELISA), C3 and C4 (nephelometry), ERS (Westergreen) and CRP (nephelometry). Fifteen JSLE patients had active disease (SLEDAI score >4) and 34 had nephritis. Statistical analysis used Mann-Whitney U test and Spearman's rank. A p