The relationship between serum immunoglobulin levels and pulmonary involvement in systemic sclerosis.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the relationship between serum immunoglobulin (Ig) levels and pulmonary function in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).


METHODS
Twenty-four patients with SSc who had at least 2 sets of pulmonary function tests (PFT) at intervals of more than one year were eligible. Multiple linear regression models were constructed for prediction of the annualized rates of change of forced vital capacity (FVC), carbon monoxide diffusing capacity (DL(CO)), and DL(CO) per unit alveolar volume (K(CO)).


RESULTS
The rates of change of FVC and K(CO) correlated with the annualized rate of change of IgG (p < 0.001 and p = 0.005, respectively), and the rate of change of DL(CO) correlated with the serum IgM level at the first PFT (p = 0.020) and with the annualized rate of change of IgG (p = 0.007).


CONCLUSIONS
The rates of change of serum Ig levels are associated with those of pulmonary function in SSc. Use of this model may assist investigation of pulmonary involvement.
Yuhara
T
T
Department of Internal Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
Takemura
H
H
Akama
T
T
Yamane
K
K
Sumida
T
T
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008954:Models, Biological; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors
D007136:Immunoglobulins