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Serum IL-15 in patients with early systemic sclerosis: a potential novel marker of lung disease

Wuttge, Dirk LU ; Wildt, Marie LU ; Geborek, Pierre LU ; Wollheim, Frank LU ; Scheja, Agneta LU and Åkesson, Anita LU (2007) In Arthritis Research and Therapy 9(5).
Abstract
ABSTRACT: The pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis (SSc) is characterized by autoimmunity, vasculopathy and fibrosis. IL-15 is a pleiotropic cytokine that has impact on immune, vascular and connective tissue cells. We therefore investigated IL-15 in the circulation of patients with early SSc and explored possible associations of serum IL-15 with vasculopathy and fibrosis. Serum levels of IL-15 were analysed in 63 consecutive patients with SSc of disease duration less than 4 years and without disease-modifying treatment. Thirty-three age-matched healthy control individuals were enrolled. Serum IL-15 levels were increased in the sera of SSc patients compared with that of healthy control individuals (P < 0.01). Serum IL-15 levels correlated... (More)
ABSTRACT: The pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis (SSc) is characterized by autoimmunity, vasculopathy and fibrosis. IL-15 is a pleiotropic cytokine that has impact on immune, vascular and connective tissue cells. We therefore investigated IL-15 in the circulation of patients with early SSc and explored possible associations of serum IL-15 with vasculopathy and fibrosis. Serum levels of IL-15 were analysed in 63 consecutive patients with SSc of disease duration less than 4 years and without disease-modifying treatment. Thirty-three age-matched healthy control individuals were enrolled. Serum IL-15 levels were increased in the sera of SSc patients compared with that of healthy control individuals (P < 0.01). Serum IL-15 levels correlated with impaired lung function, assessed both by the vital capacity (P < 0.05) and by the carbon monoxide diffusion capacity (P < 0.05). The association between IL-15 and the vital capacity remained after multiple linear regression analysis. Patients with intermediate serum IL-15 levels had a higher prevalence of increased systolic pulmonary pressure compared with patients with either low or high serum IL-15 levels (P < 0.05). Moreover, increased serum IL-15 levels were associated with a reduced nailfold capillary density in multivariable logistic regression analysis (P < 0.01). Serum IL-15 levels also correlated inversely with the systolic blood pressure (P < 0.01). We conclude that IL-15 is associated with fibrotic as well as vascular lung disease and vasculopathy in early SSc. IL-15 may contribute to the pathogenesis of SSc. IL-15 could also be a candidate biomarker for pulmonary involvement and a target for therapy in SSc. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Arthritis Research and Therapy
volume
9
issue
5
article number
85
publisher
BioMed Central (BMC)
external identifiers
  • pmid:17784951
  • wos:000252468400008
  • scopus:35748952537
  • pmid:17784951
ISSN
1478-6362
DOI
10.1186/ar2284
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
1ba0553b-ee76-4637-9c43-84c4f42ab6fb (old id 1141053)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 08:33:52
date last changed
2022-03-30 23:44:22
@article{1ba0553b-ee76-4637-9c43-84c4f42ab6fb,
  abstract     = {{ABSTRACT: The pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis (SSc) is characterized by autoimmunity, vasculopathy and fibrosis. IL-15 is a pleiotropic cytokine that has impact on immune, vascular and connective tissue cells. We therefore investigated IL-15 in the circulation of patients with early SSc and explored possible associations of serum IL-15 with vasculopathy and fibrosis. Serum levels of IL-15 were analysed in 63 consecutive patients with SSc of disease duration less than 4 years and without disease-modifying treatment. Thirty-three age-matched healthy control individuals were enrolled. Serum IL-15 levels were increased in the sera of SSc patients compared with that of healthy control individuals (P &lt; 0.01). Serum IL-15 levels correlated with impaired lung function, assessed both by the vital capacity (P &lt; 0.05) and by the carbon monoxide diffusion capacity (P &lt; 0.05). The association between IL-15 and the vital capacity remained after multiple linear regression analysis. Patients with intermediate serum IL-15 levels had a higher prevalence of increased systolic pulmonary pressure compared with patients with either low or high serum IL-15 levels (P &lt; 0.05). Moreover, increased serum IL-15 levels were associated with a reduced nailfold capillary density in multivariable logistic regression analysis (P &lt; 0.01). Serum IL-15 levels also correlated inversely with the systolic blood pressure (P &lt; 0.01). We conclude that IL-15 is associated with fibrotic as well as vascular lung disease and vasculopathy in early SSc. IL-15 may contribute to the pathogenesis of SSc. IL-15 could also be a candidate biomarker for pulmonary involvement and a target for therapy in SSc.}},
  author       = {{Wuttge, Dirk and Wildt, Marie and Geborek, Pierre and Wollheim, Frank and Scheja, Agneta and Åkesson, Anita}},
  issn         = {{1478-6362}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{5}},
  publisher    = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
  series       = {{Arthritis Research and Therapy}},
  title        = {{Serum IL-15 in patients with early systemic sclerosis: a potential novel marker of lung disease}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/ar2284}},
  doi          = {{10.1186/ar2284}},
  volume       = {{9}},
  year         = {{2007}},
}