Increased serum type I interferon activity in early systemic sclerosis patients is associated with antibodies against Sjögren's syndrome antigens and nuclear ribonucleoprotein antigens.

Summary, in English

Objective: To study serum type I interferon (IFN) activity in patients with early systemic sclerosis (SSc). Method: Serum type I IFN activity was measured in 33 consecutive patients with SSc and a disease duration of < 2 years and in 13 healthy individuals by calculating a type I IFN score according to the induction of six IFN-α regulated genes in a reporter cell line. Results: Twenty-seven per cent of the SSc patients had an increased type I IFN score compared to none of the healthy individuals (p < 0.05). The clinical SSc phenotype associated with high serum type I IFN activity did not differ from patients with low serum type I IFN activity regarding the presence of skin or lung fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, or digital complications. Patients with high serum type I IFN activity were younger (p < 0.01) and had a lower frequency of cardiac involvement (p = 0.053), lower leucocyte count (p < 0.001), higher immunoglobulin (Ig)G levels (p < 0.05), and a higher amount of antibodies against extractable nuclear antigens (p < 0.01) than patients with low serum type I IFN activity. The presence of antibodies against topoisomerase I, Sjögren's syndrome antigen, and nuclear ribonucleoprotein antigens was associated with higher type I IFN activity (p < 0.05 for all comparisons). Conclusions: Our study indicates that increased serum type I IFN activity in early SSc patients is associated with an antibody and laboratory profile that may reflect a subclinical overlap of SSc with other type I IFN-driven connective tissue diseases (CTDs).

• Author: Dirk Wuttge; Christian Lood; Ellen Tufvesson; Agneta Scheja; Lennart Truedsson; Anders Bengtsson; Roger Hesselstrand
• Department/s: EpiHealth: Epidemiology for Health; Rheumatology; Lung physiology and biomarkers; Respiratory Medicine, Allergology, and Palliative Medicine; Division of Microbiology, Immunology and Glycobiology - MIG
• Publishing year: 2013
• Language: English
• Pages: 235-240
• Publication/Series: Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology
• Volume: 42
• Issue: 3
• Links: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23379597?dopt=Abstract; http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/03009742.2012.736532
• Document type: Journal article
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• Topic: Rheumatology and Autoimmunity
• Status: Published
• Research group: Lung physiology and biomarkers
• ISBN/ISSN/Other: ISSN: 1502-7732