sCD163 in AOSD: a biomarker for macrophage activation related to hyperferritinemia.
Ferritin has a key role in Adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD). Its production seems related to macrophage activation of which sCD163 is a major serum marker. Thus, we aimed at evaluating the role of sCD163 in AOSD and its relationship with ferritin. Furthermore, we determined the expression of CD163 and ferritin in a lymph-node from an AOSD patient. sCD163 and serum ferritin were measured in 34 patients with AOSD (21 active, 13 non-active), 18 sepsis and 22 healthy controls (HC). Immunohistology was performed on a lymph-node from an AOSD patient in order to detect CD163 and ferritin. A tonsil from an HC was used as control. Mean sCD163 (8.6 ± 5.4 mg/L) was higher in active AOSD than "non-active" patients (4.6 ± 2.7 mg/L, p = 0.02). The mean sCD163 in AOSD (6.9 ± 4.9 mg/L) and sepsis (7.1 ± 5.6 mg/L) were higher than in HC (2.56 ± 1.17 mg/L, p < 0.001), but no difference between AOSD and sepsis was detected. sCD163 positively correlated with ferritin (p = 0.0045; r = 0.4755) only in AOSD. Serum ferritin (mean 3,640.1 ± 6,896.9 µg/L) was higher in active AOSD than in sepsis (1,720.2 ± 3,882.1 µg/L, p < 0.007). CD163 was equally distributed in the B and T areas of both lymph-node and tonsil. Differently from the tonsil, ferritin was expressed only in the lymph-node B area. sCD163 is a marker of disease activity in AOSD. The correlation with ferritin may lead to hypothesize a macrophage activation related to hyperferritinemia. Ferritin was found expressed only in the B area of the AOSD lymph-node, suggesting a role for this molecule as an antigen in the disease pathogenesis.
Dipartimento di Medicina Interna e Specialità Mediche, Reumatologia, Sapienza Università di Roma, Viale del Policlinico 155, 00161, Rome, Italy.
S
S
Colafrancesco
R
R
Priori
C
C
Alessandri
E
E
Astorri
C
C
Perricone
M
M
Blank
N
N
Agmon-Levin
Y
Y
Shoenfeld
G
G
Valesini
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008262:Macrophage Activation / Q000276:immunology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D018805:Sepsis / Q000150:complications; D016706:Still's Disease, Adult-Onset / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D055815:Young Adult; D000098902:CD163 Antigen
D015703:Antigens, CD; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic; D015415:Biomarkers; D000098902:CD163 Antigen; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D005293:Ferritins