 |
|
|
 |
YU ASANUMA, CECILIA P. CHUNG, ANNETTE OESER, AYUMI SHINTANI, ERAN STANLEY, PAOLO RAGGI, and C. MICHAEL STEIN ABSTRACT. Methods. Plasma IL-6, MCP-1, and serum IL-8 (pg/ml) concentrations were measured in 74 patients with SLE and in 85 controls. Clinical characteristics, homocysteine, lipids, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and coronary artery calcification as detected by electron beam computed tomography were measured. Results. IL-6 (13.2 ± 13.8 pg/ml vs 6.7 ± 3.2 pg/ml, p < 0.001) and MCP-1 (264.2 ± 581.8 pg/ml vs 131.0 ± 63.7 pg/ml, p < 0.001) concentrations were higher in patients with lupus than in controls. IL-8 concentrations did not differ between patients and controls (p = 0.86). In patients, IL-6 concentrations were correlated with CRP (p < 0.001), ESR (p < 0.001), SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI, p = 0.003), and body mass index (BMI, p = 0.003). IL-6 concentrations were inversely correlated with HDL cholesterol (p = 0.01). MCP-1 concentrations were correlated with SLEDAI (p = 0.01), ESR (p = 0.04), and triglycerides (p = 0.03). After controlling for age, sex, disease activity, SLICC damage index, smoking status, and systolic blood pressure, IL-6 was associated with coronary calcification (odds ratio, OR = 1.07, p = 0.035). Similar models found no association between MCP-1 or IL-8 with coronary artery calcification. Conclusion. Patients with SLE have increased concentrations of IL-6 and MCP-1. These cytokines are associated with increased inflammation, BMI, and adverse lipid profiles. IL-6 is associated with burden of atherosclerosis in SLE. (J Rheumatol 2006;33:539–45)
Key Indexing Terms: CYTOKINES From the Departments of Medicine and Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, Tennessee, and the Section of Cardiology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Supported by grants (HL04012, HL65082 and GM5M01-RR00095) from the National Institutes of Health and from the Lupus Foundation of America, Nashville Chapter and the Lupus Clinical Trials Consortium. Dr. Asanuma was supported by a Merck Sharp and Dohme Foundation International Fellowship and by Japan Research Foundation. Dr. Chung was supported in part by a CHORD Fellowship. Y. Asanuma, MD, PhD; C.P. Chung, MD, MPH; A. Oeser, BS, Department of Medicine; A. Shintani, PhD, MPH, Department of Biostatistics; E. Stanley, BA, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine; P. Raggi, MD, Section of Cardiology, Tulane University School of Medicine; C.M. Stein, MD, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. Address reprint requests to Dr. C.M. Stein, Division of Clinical Pharmacology, 560 Robinson Research Building, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 23rd Ave S at Pierce Ave., Nashville, TN, 37232-6602, USA. E-mail: michael.stein@vanderbilt.edu Accepted for publication October 19, 2005. All rights reserved. |
