Eotaxin-3 in Churg-Strauss syndrome: a clinical and immunogenetic study.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the potential of eotaxin-3 as a diagnostic marker for active disease and genetic susceptibility factor for Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS).


METHODS
A total of 37 patients with active, relapsed or inactive CSS, 123 healthy controls and 138 disease controls were studied. Clinical data were collected and serum levels of eotaxin-3 were determined. Ex vivo stability of eotaxin-3 in serum samples was tested. Furthermore, the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the eotaxin-3 gene with CSS was determined in 161 CSS patients and 124 healthy controls.


RESULTS
Serum eotaxin-3 was highly elevated in active CSS patients. Neither eosinophilic diseases nor other small-vessel vasculitides were associated with high serum eotaxin-3 levels. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis determined a sensitivity and specificity of 87.5 and 98.6% at a cut-off level of 80 pg/ml. None of the tested SNPs within the eotaxin-3 gene influenced the susceptibility to develop CSS.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum eotaxin-3 is a sensitive and specific marker for the diagnosis of active CSS suitable for routine clinical practice. Previously described SNPs in the eotaxin-3 gene do not predict the risk of developing CSS.
Department of Internal Medicine 3 and Institute for Clinical Immunology, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Krankenhausstrasse 12, 91054 Erlangen, Germany. jochen.zwerina@uk-erlangen.de
Jochen
J
Zwerina
Christian
C
Bach
Davide
D
Martorana
Maria
M
Jatzwauk
Guido
G
Hegasy
Frank
F
Moosig
Jan
J
Bremer
Stefan
S
Wieczorek
Alexander
A
Moschen
Herbert
H
Tilg
Thomas
T
Neumann
Bernd M
BM
Spriewald
Georg
G
Schett
Augusto
A
Vaglio
D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic / Q000097:blood; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D000075906:Chemokine CCL26; D019742:Chemokines, CC / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics*; D015267:Churg-Strauss Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics*; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics; D003240:Connective Tissue Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D017681:Hypereosinophilic Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics; D055261:Immunogenetic Phenomena; D010272:Parasitic Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012372:ROC Curve
D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic; D015415:Biomarkers; C120429:CCL26 protein, human; D000075906:Chemokine CCL26; D019742:Chemokines, CC