title: A role for TARC/CCL17, a CC chemokine, in systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The Th2-type CC chemokine thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC/CCL17) is one of the high affinity ligands for CCR4, a chemokine receptor predominantly expressed by Th2 cells. We examined serum and plasma concentrations of TARC/CCL17 in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum and plasma levels of TARC/CCL17 and plasma levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1/CCL2) and macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC/CCL22) in patients with SLE were determined by ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were significant differences in the plasma concentrations of TARC/CCL17 between the patients with untreated SLE and treated SLE (p < 0.001), rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (p < 0.001), and healthy controls (p < 0.001). In addition, the plasma levels of TARC/CCL17 correlated with the class of lupus nephritis (higher in class I or II than in class III or IV). There was close correlation between plasma levels of MDC/CCL22 and TARC/CCL17. There was no correlation between plasma levels of MCP-1/CCL2 and TARC/CCL17.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TARC/CCL17 may be a useful serological marker and may facilitate an assessment of the degree of disease activity in SLE. The development of SLE is closely related to the elevation of plasma TARC/CCL17 levels.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Rheumatology, Tokyo Women's Medical University, 10-22 Kawada-cho, Shinjuku, Tokyo 162-0054, Japan. hokamoto@ior.twmu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Kyoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koizumi
authors.forename: Hisashi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamanaka
authors.forename: Terunobu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Naoyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kamatani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D054414:Chemokine CCL17; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000378:metabolism; D054422:Chemokine CCL22; D019742:Chemokines, CC / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000378:metabolism*; D008181:Lupus Nephritis / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D009994:Osmolar Concentration
chemical_list: C106230:CCL17 protein, human; C515482:CCL22 protein, human; D054414:Chemokine CCL17; D018932:Chemokine CCL2; D054422:Chemokine CCL22; D019742:Chemokines, CC