title: Elevated serum levels of neopterin in adult patients with polymyositis/dermatomyositis.
abstract: We determined serum concentrations of neopterin, soluble tumour necrosis factor (55 kDa) receptor (sTNF-R) and soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) in plasma of 44 patients with polymyositis (PM)/dermatomyositis (DM), including 15 patients with primary PM, 13 patients with primary DM, and 16 patients with myositis and systemic sclerosis in overlap. Concentrations of neopterin, sTNF-R and sIL-2R were measured using commercially available immunoassays. Serum neopterin was increased in 35 of 44 PM/DM patients (80%), sTNF-R in 14 (32%) and sIL-2R in 18 (41%) patients, respectively. There were significant correlations between serum neopterin and sTNF-R, sIL-2R and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (all P < 0.001). Neopterin, as well as sTNF-R and sIL-2R, did not correlate with clinical (neuromuscular and activities of daily living scores) and laboratory (creatine kinase levels) manifestations of myositis. Increased serum levels of neopterin were associated with non-muscular manifestations of PM/DM. In conclusion, serum neopterin appears to be a useful laboratory marker for ongoing immune activation and global disease activity in PM/DM.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Research Centre, Moscow, Russia.
authors.forename: M Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Samsonov
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Nassonov
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Tilz
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Geht
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Demel
authors.forename: G T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Gurkina
authors.forename: V Z
authors.initials: VZ
authors.lastname: Shtutman
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Guseva
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wachter
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fuchs
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers; D001708:Biopterins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood; D003882:Dermatomyositis / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019798:Neopterin; D017285:Polymyositis / Q000097:blood*; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000097:blood; D012995:Solubility
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D001708:Biopterins; D019798:Neopterin