Effects of two blood purification treatments combined with immunosuppressants on GM-CSF and CXCL16 levels in patients with lupus nephritis

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of two different blood purification treatments combined with immunosuppressants on patients with lupus nephritis (LN) and their effects affecting granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and CXC chemokine ligand-16 (CXCL16) levels. Methods: Ninety patients with LN admitted to our hospital were enrolled and randomly assigned into groups A and B. Group A was treated with continuous veno-venous hemofiltration (CVVH) combined with conventional medical treatment (CMT, n = 40, including 23 females and 17 males), whereas group B was treated with intermittent hemodialysis combined with conventional medical treatment (n = 50, including 35 females and 15 males). Both groups received prednisone and cyclophosphamide. Results: GM-CSF and CXCL16 levels in the two groups were significantly reduced after treatment (P < 0.05); and GM-CSF level in group A was significantly lower than that in group B (P < 0.05, -1.261 to -0.8395), and CXCL16 level in group A was significantly lower than that in group B (P < 0.05, -0.5745 to -0.4355). There was no significant difference in general data between the two groups (P > 0.05). After treatment, the SLEDAI scores were significantly decreased in both groups, and were significantly lower in group A than in group B (P < 0.05, -1.816 to -0.1241). Conclusion: CVVH combined with conventional medical treatment is more effective than intermittent hemodialysis combined with conventional medical treatment, and is easier to remove GM-CSF and CXCL16.