RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Elevation of serum lymphotactin levels in patients with systemic sclerosis.
JF The Journal of Rheumatology
JO J Rheumatol
FD The Journal of Rheumatology
SP 834
OP 838
VO 35
IS 5
A1 Eiji Muroi
A1 Fumihide Ogawa
A1 Kazuhiro Shimizu
A1 Kazuhiro Komura
A1 Minoru Hasegawa
A1 Manabu Fujimoto
A1 Shinichi Sato
YR 2008
UL http://www.jrheum.org/content/35/5/834.abstract
AB OBJECTIVE: To determine serum concentrations of lymphotactin, a Th1 chemokine, and their clinical association in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). METHODS: Lymphotactin levels were examined in serum samples from patients with SSc (n = 68), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE; n = 42), or dermatomyositis (DM; n = 29), and healthy controls (n = 18) by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Serum lymphotactin levels were significantly elevated in SSc patients compared to patients with SLE or DM as well as controls. Serum lymphotactin levels were similar in patients with limited cutaneous SSc and diffuse cutaneous SSc (dSSc). Clinical correlation of elevated lymphotactin levels was not detected in the total group of patients with SSc, while elevation of lymphotactin levels was significantly associated with higher percentage vital capacity and percentage diffusing capacity of carbon monoxide, lower lung severity grade and serum IgG levels, and less frequent presence of short sublingual frenulum in patients with dSSc. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that elevated serum lymphotactin levels correlate with relatively milder manifestations in dSSc, especially lower severity of lung involvement, suggesting that lymphotactin may play a role in the development of dSSc.