Serum CXCL16 concentrations correlate with the extent of skin sclerosis in patients with systemic sclerosis.
OBJECTIVE
To determine serum concentrations of soluble CXCL16 and its clinical associations in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).


METHODS
Serum CXCL16 levels from 89 patients with SSc were examined by ELISA. In a retrospective longitudinal study, 68 sera from 28 patients with SSc were analyzed (followup 1.3 to 7.3 yrs).


RESULTS
Serum CXCL16 levels were elevated in patients with SSc compared with healthy controls (n = 42). Patients with diffuse cutaneous SSc (n = 52) had higher levels of CXCL16 than those with limited cutaneous SSc (n = 37). Serum CXCL16 levels correlated positively with the extent of skin sclerosis. In the longitudinal study, CXCL16 levels generally decreased on a parallel with the improvement in skin sclerosis.


CONCLUSIONS
CXCL16 levels were increased in patients with SSc, and correlated with the extent of skin sclerosis, suggesting that CXCL16 may have a role in the development of skin fibrosis in SSc. Blockade of CXCL16 interaction might be a potential therapeutic target in patients with SSc.
Yanaba
Koichi
K
Department of Dermatology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan.
Muroi
Eiji
E
Yoshizaki
Ayumi
A
Hara
Toshihide
T
Ogawa
Fumihide
F
Shimizu
Kazuhiro
K
Yozaki
Mariko
M
Hasegawa
Minoru
M
Fujimoto
Manabu
M
Takehara
Kazuhiko
K
Sato
Shinichi
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D000075743:Chemokine CXCL16; D019743:Chemokines, CXC / Q000097:blood*; D002648:Child; D003882:Dermatomyositis / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D051116:Receptors, Scavenger / Q000097:blood*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D012598:Sclerosis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult
C423727:CXCL16 protein, human; D000075743:Chemokine CXCL16; D019743:Chemokines, CXC; D051116:Receptors, Scavenger