The accuracy of the anti-phospholipase A2 receptor antibody in the diagnosis of idiopathic membranous nephropathy: a comparison of different cutoff values as measured by the ELISA method

Recent studies have revealed that anti-phospholipase A2 receptor antibodies (aPLA2R-ABs) may play a role in the diagnosis of idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN). We will investigate the application of an aPLA2R-AB with different cutoff values for diagnosing IMN. From August 2014 to December 2014, patients with proteinuria greater than 1 g/day were screened at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. Patients were divided into the IMN and non-IMN groups based on the results of renal biopsy. The sensitivity, specificity, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of aPLA2R-AB for diagnosing IMN were analyzed. A total of 229 patients (113 males, average age of 45.3 +/- A 15.8 years) were enrolled in this study, and 118 patients were diagnosed with IMN. The sensitivity/specificity of aPLA2R-AB in the diagnosis of IMN was 65.3/97.3 %, 60.2/97.3 %, and 45.8/97.3 % for the different cutoff values (14, 20, and 40 RU/ml). The area of the ROC curve was 0.87. Anti-PLA2R-AB with a cutoff value of 14 RU/ml based on the ELISA method plays an important role in the diagnosis of IMN.