Serum chemokine levels as prognostic markers in patients with early systemic sclerosis: a multicenter, prospective, observational study

Abstract

Objective To assess the utility of serum chemokine levels as a prognostic indicator of disease progression in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients with early onset disease.

Methods Seventy Japanese patients with early onset SSc presenting with diffuse skin sclerosis and/or interstitial lung disease were registered in a multicenter, observational study. Concentrations of CCL2, CCL5, CXCL8, CXCL9, and CXCL10 in serum samples from all patients were measured using cytometric beads array. In 33 patients, chemokine levels were measured each year for 4 years. The ability of baseline chemokine levels to predict changes in clinical features were evaluated statistically by multiple regression analysis.

Results At their first visit, serum levels of CCL2, CCL5, CXCL8, CXCL9, and CXCL10 were significantly elevated in patients with SSc compared with healthy controls. There were significant associations between CCL2 and CXCL8 levels and between CXCL9 and CXCL10 levels in patients. The initial serum CXCL8 levels were significantly associated with the HAQ-DI at the fourth year while the %VC of baseline tended to be negatively associated with HAQ-DI at the fourth year. Initial chemokine levels were not associated with other clinical features including skin thickness score and the respiratory function.

Conclusion Serum CXCL8 level may serve as a prognostic indicator of the physical dysfunction in SSc. Further longitudinal studies of larger populations are needed to confirm these findings.

Keywords::

• Chemokine
• CXCL8
• HAQ
• Serum marker
• Systemic sclerosis

Acknowledgments

The manuscript has not been previously published nor has it been submitted simultaneously for publication elsewhere. We are grateful to all the physicians who have contributed to data collection at each facility. We also thank Tomoko Hayashi, Yuko Yamada, and Masako Matsubara for their assistance in registering data. This work was supported by funds for research on intractable diseases from the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare of Japan.