Background/Purpose: Assessment of disease activity is one of the main difficulties in patients with Takayasu Arteritis (TAK) during follow-up. In this study, we aimed to investigate serum interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-18, IL-23 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), as possible biomarkers of disease activity in patients with TAK.
Methods: The study included 51 patients (age: 40.6±12.2 years, F/M: 45/6) with TAK and 42 age and sex matched healthy controls (age: 38.1±7.4 years, F/M: 38/4). All patients with TAK fulfilled the criteria of American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and were evaluated by physician’s global assessment (PGA: active/inactive) and ITAS2010 (Indian Takayasu Clinical Activity Score) in terms of clinical activity at baseline and follow-up visits. Commercial enzyme linked immuno-sorbent assay (ELISA) kits were used for the measurements of serum IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-18, IL-23 and GM-CSF.
Results: At baseline, 21 (41.2%) patients were active assessed with PGA and 8 (15.7%) with ITAS2010. Serum IL-6, IL-8 and IL-18 levels were significantly higher in patients with TAK (TAK vs HC, respectively; 194.7±485 (0-2555) vs 64.3±156.8 (0-748), 49.4±189 (0-1349) vs 8.4±23.8 (0-97), 535.1±252 vs 268.8±216.2) whereas GM-CSF, IL-10 and IL-23 levels were similar to healthy controls. Comparing baseline and follow-up visits, IL-8 levels significantly decreased in follow-up together with a decrease of clinical activity by PGA, whereas IL-23 levels significantly increased. IL-18 levels were associated with disease activity assessed with ITAS2010, but not with PGA. IL-18 was also the only cytokine correlating with CRP. No association of IL-6 levels were observed with disease activity.
Conclusion: We found significantly increased IL-6, IL-8 and IL-18 levels in patients with TAK compared to healthy controls, suggesting their role in disease pathogenesis. However, no consistent association of any cytokine is observed with disease activity to use as a biomarker. In addition to anti-IL-6 treatment currently investigated, blockage of other pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-8 and IL-18 might be new therapeutic approaches in refractory TAK.
Disclosure:
F. Alibaz-Oner,
None;
P. S. Yentür,
None;
G. Saruhan-Direskeneli,
None;
H. Direskeneli,
None.
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ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/serum-cytokine-profiles-in-takayasus-arteritis-a-search-for-a-biomarker/