Measurement of serum monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and its clinical application for estimating the activity of granuloma formation in sarcoidosis.
OBJECTIVE
The role of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids from sarcoidosis patients was previously reported. To study the role of MCP-1, we evaluated the serum MCP-1 and its clinical significance in sarcoidosis.


METHODS
The serum MCP-1 level was measured in 47 patients with sarcoidosis and 10 normal healthy controls with the use of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The localization and mRNA expression of MCP-1 in sarcoid lymph nodes were evaluated by an immunohistochemical method using an anti-MCP-1 monoclonal antibody and an in situ hybridization technique to determine the cellular source(s) of MCP-1.


RESULTS
Serum MCP-1 levels were significantly elevated in the sarcoidosis patients compared with the healthy controls (698.3 +/- 101.9 vs. less than 39 pg/ml, p < 0.001). A comparison of the patients' serum MCP-1 levels among standard radiographic stages revealed that the serum MCP-1 was significantly higher in early stages: stage 0 vs. III, and stage I vs. II. In addition, the serum MCP-1 levels were significantly correlated with the serum angiotensin converting enzyme levels (r = 0.539, p = 0.0006). MCP-1 expression was detected in macrophages peripheral to the epithelioid granuloma in sarcoid lymph nodes, by both immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that MCP-1 may be expressed by the macrophages in the granuloma throughout the body, and that the measurement of serum MCP-1 levels may have clinical value as an indicator in estimating the activity of granuloma formation throughout the body in sarcoidosis.
Iyonaga
K
K
First Department of Internal Medicine, Kumamoto University School of Medicine, Japan. iyonaga@kaiju.medic.kumamoto-u.ac.jp
Suga
M
M
Ichiyasu
H
H
Yamamoto
T
T
Hiraga
Y
Y
Ando
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology; D002452:Cell Count; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D018450:Disease Progression; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D015769:Granuloma, Respiratory Tract / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D016676:Macrophages, Alveolar / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A / Q000097:blood; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D017565:Sarcoidosis, Pulmonary / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology
D018932:Chemokine CCL2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D007703:Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A