Serum levels of soluble interleukin 6 receptor and soluble gp130 are elevated in patients with localized scleroderma.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the clinical relevance of serum soluble interleukin 6 receptor (sIL-6R) and soluble gp130 (sgp130) in localized scleroderma.


METHODS
Serum levels of sIL-6R and sgp130 were examined by ELISA in 45 patients with localized scleroderma. Twenty patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and 20 healthy individuals served as controls.


RESULTS
Serum levels of both sIL-6R and sgp130 were significantly elevated in patients with localized scleroderma compared with healthy controls. Moreover, serum sgp130 levels in patients with localized scleroderma were significantly higher than in patients with SSc. In patients with localized scleroderma, elevated sIL-6R levels significantly correlated with levels of IgM antihistone antibodies, the presence of rheumatoid factor, the number of linear lesions, and the number of body areas involved. Elevated sgp130 levels were significantly associated with levels of IgG antihistone antibodies, the number of plaque lesions, the total number of lesions, and the number of body areas involved.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that elevated serum sIL-6R and sgp 30 may reflect activation of the IL-6 system that may be associated with the development of sclerotic lesions and autoantibody production in localized scleroderma.
Nagaoka
T
T
Department of Dermatology, Kanazawa University School of Medicine, Ishikawa, Japan.
Sato
S
S
Hasegawa
M
M
Ihn
H
H
Takehara
K
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000097:blood*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D050822:Cytokine Receptor gp130; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D012594:Scleroderma, Localized / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology
D015703:Antigens, CD; D001323:Autoantibodies; C494199:IL6ST protein, human; D015850:Interleukin-6; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6; D050822:Cytokine Receptor gp130