title: Potential biomarkers for detecting pulmonary arterial hypertension in patients with systemic sclerosis.
abstract: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is the major complication of systemic sclerosis (SSc) and the main cause of morbi-mortality. It is important to find predictors for this vascular problem. The objective of this study was to determine the serum levels of different biomarkers in patients with SSc and secondary PAH and to compare them with those of healthy control subjects to define their potential role as predictors of PAH. Cross-section study in which 20 patients with SSc were included. PAH was diagnosed by echocardiogram. The optical densities of endoglin (Eng), endothelin-1 (ET-1), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), tumoral necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), Transforming growth factor beta 2 (TGF-beta2) and Interleukin 8 (IL-8) were measured in 20 patients with SSc and 20 healthy controls matched by sex. The differences found between the group of patients with PAH and the control group were (mean or median and range): ET-1 (0.20; 0.10-0.35 vs. 0.16; 0.10-0.24; P = 0.0276), IL-8 (195.7; 45.5-504 vs. 118.9; 23-299.5; P = 0.0364), TNF-alpha (0.70; 0.50-0.96 vs. 0.48; 0.38-0.65; P = 1 x 10(-8)) and Eng (0.95; 0.57-1.72 vs. 0.75; 0.57-0.89; P = 0.0028). A correlation was found between the progression of the disease and the development of Raynaud's phenomenon (Rho: 0.67 and P = 0.0011), ET-1 and Eng (Rho: 0.53 and P = 0.0196), and between IL-8 and Eng (Rho: 0.68 and P = 0.0019). In conclusions, the elevation of the serum levels of Eng and ET-1 could represent a useful tool as PAH biomarkers. Nevertheless, the diagnostic value of these markers needs to be determined by prospective studies.
authors.affiliation: Rheumatology Unit, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Carrera 30 calle 45, Bogotá, Colombia. pxcoral@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Coral-Alvarado
authors.forename: Gerardo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Quintana
authors.forename: Maria Fernanda
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Garces
authors.forename: Libia Alexandra
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Cepeda
authors.forename: Jorge Eduardo
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Caminos
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rondon
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iglesias-Gamarra
authors.forename: Jose Felix
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Restrepo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D015703:Antigens, CD; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000009:adverse effects; D000071063:Endoglin; D019332:Endothelin-1; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D015415:Biomarkers; C064206:ENG protein, human; D000071063:Endoglin; D019332:Endothelin-1; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface