PHLDB1 and WDFY4 as dual-state biomarkers in SLE pathogenesis and lupus nephritis prediction.

OBJECTIVES

Our previous study confirmed systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) associated with polymorphisms of PHLDB1 and WDFY4 genes. In this study, we investigatedthe clinical relevance of PHLDB1 and WDFY4 in SLE pathogenesis and their potential as biomarkers.

METHODS

A total of 634 SLE patients from Sichuan University West China Hospital and 400 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were included in this study. Serum PHLDB1 and WDFY4 of SLE patients and HCs were measured by ELISA, and the laboratory indicators were collected through the electronic medical record. LASSO, logistic regression, and random forest models for SLE diagnosis and LN prediction, including variables: age, sex, serum proteins (PHLDB1/WDFY4), genotypes, cytokines, and clinical markers.

RESULTS

Results revealed elevated PHLDB1 in SLE patients compared to controls (1.61 vs. 1.48 ng/mL, P = 0.025), while paradoxically showing suppression in LN versus Non-LN patients (1.42 vs. 1.52 ng/mL, P = 0.031). WDFY4 specifically increased in LN (666.59 vs. 594.57 pg/mL, P < 0.001) without systemic SLE alterations. Machine learning models incorporating these biomarkers demonstrated diagnostic utility, with random forest achieving AUC 0.843 for SLE discrimination and AUC 0.990 for LN prediction. LN patients concurrently exhibited distinct immune dysregulation (reduced IL-6/IL-17 and elevated TNF-α/IL-18) and renal metabolic impairment. These findings position PHLDB1 as a systemic SLE biomarker and WDFY4 as a LN-specific blood indicator, showing promise for clinical subtyping applications. Further validation of these stratified biomarkers is warranted.

CONCLUSION

Our results confirm a correlation between the serum levels of PHLDB1 and the occurrence of SLE.