title: Increased circulating fibrinogen-like protein 2 in patients with systemic sclerosis.
abstract: Fibrinogen-like protein 2 (FGL2), a member of the fibrinogen-related superfamily of proteins, is expressed on the surface of macrophages, T cells, and endothelial cells and directly cleaves prothrombin to thrombin. The aim of this study is to determine the serum FGL2 level and its association with clinical parameters in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). Serum FGL2 level was examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 61 patients with SSc, 24 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, and 24 healthy individuals. In a retrospective longitudinal study, sera from 13 patients with SSc were analyzed. The serum FGL2 level was increased in patients with SSc compared with healthy individuals (P < 0.001) and patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (P < 0.01). Among patients with SSc, there were no differences in serum FGL2 level between limited cutaneous SSc and diffuse cutaneous SSc. In the longitudinal study, the FGL2 level was generally unchanged at follow-up. The results show that the serum FGL2 level was increased in patients with SSc but not in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus or healthy individuals. Therefore, FGL2 possibly contribute to the development of SSc.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan. yanabak-der@h.u-tokyo.ac.jp
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yanaba
authors.forename: Yoshihide
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Asano
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Noda
authors.forename: Kaname
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Akamata
authors.forename: Naohiko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Aozasa
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: Takehiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Yohei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ichimura
authors.forename: Tetsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Toyama
authors.forename: Hayakazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sumida
authors.forename: Yoshihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kuwano
authors.forename: Yayoi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tada
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sugaya
authors.forename: Takafumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kadono
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sato
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D045743:Scleroderma, Diffuse / Q000097:blood*; D045745:Scleroderma, Limited / Q000097:blood*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C095202:FGL2 protein, human; D005340:Fibrinogen