Serum concentrations of the CXC chemokines interleukin 8 and growth-regulated oncogene-alpha are elevated in patients with systemic sclerosis.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether serum concentrations of 2 CXC chemokines, interleukin 8 (IL-8) and growth-regulated oncogene-alpha (GRO-alpha), which are potent chemoattractants and activators for neutrophils, are elevated and whether they correlate with clinical features in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).


METHODS
Serum samples from patients with diffuse cutaneous SSc (dSSc; n = 36), limited cutaneous SSc (lSSc; n = 42), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE; n = 15), dermatomyositis (DM; n = 15), and healthy controls (n = 35) were examined by ELISA.


RESULTS
Serum IL-8 was detected significantly more frequently in patients with dSSc (61%) and lSSc (55%) relative to healthy controls (6%), patients with SLE (7%), and those with DM (13%). Similarly, serum GRO-alpha concentrations in SSc patients were significantly increased compared with controls, patients with SLE, or those with DM. Elevated IL-8 concentrations significantly correlated with decreased % DLCO and rheumatoid factor positivity, while increased GRO-alpha levels were significantly associated with decreased % DLCO and % vital capacity, involvement of kidney and muscle, the presence of anti-topoisomerase I antibody, and increased serum IgG levels.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that the elevation of serum levels of the CXC chemokines IL-8 and GRO-alpha is specific to SSc and that the elevation of CXC chemokines, particularly GRO-alpha, correlates with the involvement of internal organs, especially pulmonary damage.
Furuse
Shinobu
S
Department of Dermatology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Ishikawa, Japan.
Fujii
Hidetaka
H
Kaburagi
Yuko
Y
Fujimoto
Manabu
M
Hasegawa
Minoru
M
Takehara
Kazuhiko
K
Sato
Shinichi
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D054360:Chemokine CXCL1; D018925:Chemokines / Q000097:blood*; D019743:Chemokines, CXC; D002630:Chemotactic Factors / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D003882:Dermatomyositis / Q000097:blood; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood*; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology
C475829:CXCL1 protein, human; D054360:Chemokine CXCL1; D018925:Chemokines; D019743:Chemokines, CXC; D002630:Chemotactic Factors; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D016209:Interleukin-8