C3 and lobular neoplasia: When compared to conventional biomarkers of disease, serum VCAM-1 level showed comparable sensitivity and specificity as anti-dsDNA antibody and C3 levels in distinguishing patients with active LN and remission, and similar sensitivity and specificity as C3 (sensitivity and specificity rates of 90.00% and 89.29% respectively), but higher specificity than anti-dsDNA antibody titre (sensitivity and specificity rates of 100.00% and 42.86% respectively), in distinguishing active LN patients from patients with active non-renal SLE.