Elevation of Serum Lymphotactin Levels in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis

EIJI MUROI, FUMIHIDE OGAWA, KAZUHIRO SHIMIZU, KAZUHIRO KOMURA, MINORU HASEGAWA, MANABU FUJIMOTO, and SHINICHI SATO

ABSTRACT.

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. (J Rheumatol First Release Mar 1 2008)

Key Indexing Terms:

SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS
LYMPHOTACTIN
CHEMOKINE
PULMONARY FIBROSIS
IMMUNOGLOBULIN G
TH1 CELLS

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From the Department of Dermatology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki; and Department of Dermatology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa, Japan.

E. Muroi, MD, PhD, Clinical Fellow; F. Ogawa, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor; K. Shimizu, MD, PhD, Associate Professor; K. Komura, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor; S. Sato, MD, PhD, Professor and Chairman, Department of Dermatology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences; M. Hasegawa, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor; M. Fujimoto, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Dermatology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science.

Address reprint requests to Dr. S. Sato, Department of Dermatology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8501, Japan. E-mail: s-sato@nagasaki-u.ac.jp

Accepted for publication December 27, 2007.