Detection of interstitial pneumonitis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis by measuring circulating levels of KL-6, a human MUC1 mucin.
In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), interstitial-pneumonitis is one of the major extraarticular complications that worsens a patient's prognosis. KL-6, a human MUC1 mucin, has been reported to be a sensitive serum marker for activity of interstitial pneumonitis. We investigated the clinical significance of serum KL-6 level in patients with RA. Serum levels of KL-6 and RA-associated inflammatory markers were evaluated in 177 RA patients. The diagnosis of active interstitial pneumonitis was made by clinical symptoms, pulmonary function tests, chest X-ray film, and high resolution CT. Serum KL-6 was increased in 8 of 9 (88.9%) RA patients with active interstitial pneumonitis but in only 1 of 168 (0.6%) RA patients without active interstitial pneumonitis. No significant correlation was found between KL-6 level and conventional clinical parameters. In RA, abnormal elevation of serum KL-6 strongly indicates the complication of active interstitial pneumonitis.
Oyama
T
T
Department of Internal Medicine, Dohgo Spa Hospital, Ehime, Japan.
Kohno
N
N
Yokoyama
A
A
Hirasawa
Y
Y
Hiwada
K
K
Oyama
H
H
Okuda
Y
Y
Takasugi
K
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000941:Antigens / Q000097:blood*; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018396:Mucin-1; D009077:Mucins; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests
D000941:Antigens; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D015415:Biomarkers; D006023:Glycoproteins; C060192:MUC1 protein, human; D018396:Mucin-1; D009077:Mucins