Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan.
J Rheumatol. 2011 Oct;38(10):2193-7. doi: 10.3899/jrheum.110268. Epub 2011 Aug 1.
To determine serum interleukin 9 (IL-9) levels and their clinical associations in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).
Serum IL-9 levels were examined by ELISA in 71 patients with SSc, 15 with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 15 with dermatomyositis (DM), 39 with atopic dermatitis, and 28 healthy individuals.
Serum IL-9 levels were significantly elevated in SSc patients (84.6 ± 76.0 pg/ml) compared with healthy individuals (40.4 ± 41.7 pg/ml; p < 0.001), and patients with SLE (50.7 ± 52.0 pg/ml; p < 0.05) or DM (50.6 ± 55.8 pg/ml; p < 0.05) or atopic dermatitis (41.8 ± 38.8 pg/ml; p < 0.001). Among SSc patients, there were no differences in serum IL-9 levels between those with limited cutaneous SSc and those with diffuse cutaneous SSc. Patients with SSc and raised IL-9 levels less often had pulmonary fibrosis and decreased percentage vital capacity than those with normal IL-9 levels. IL-9 levels were positively correlated with percentage vital capacity in patients with SSc.
Serum IL-9 level was increased in patients with SSc, and was associated with lower frequency and severity of pulmonary fibrosis in SSc. IL-9 could be a protective factor against the development of pulmonary fibrosis in this disease, and as such would be a possible therapeutic target.
测定系统性硬化症（SSc）患者血清白细胞介素 9（IL-9）水平及其临床相关性。
采用 ELISA 法检测 71 例 SSc 患者、15 例系统性红斑狼疮（SLE）患者、15 例皮肌炎（DM）患者、39 例特应性皮炎患者和 28 名健康对照者的血清 IL-9 水平。
SSc 患者血清 IL-9 水平（84.6±76.0 pg/ml）显著高于健康对照者（40.4±41.7 pg/ml；p＜0.001）、SLE 患者（50.7±52.0 pg/ml；p＜0.05）或 DM 患者（50.6±55.8 pg/ml；p＜0.05）或特应性皮炎患者（41.8±38.8 pg/ml；p＜0.001）。在 SSc 患者中，局限型和弥漫型 SSc 患者血清 IL-9 水平无差异。血清 IL-9 水平升高的 SSc 患者发生肺纤维化的频率和严重程度低于 IL-9 水平正常的患者。SSc 患者血清 IL-9 水平与肺活量百分比呈正相关。
SSc 患者血清 IL-9 水平升高，与 SSc 患者肺纤维化的发生频率和严重程度降低相关。IL-9 可能是 SSc 患者肺纤维化发生的保护性因素，因此可能是一个潜在的治疗靶点。
