Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Japan.
Arch Dermatol Res. 2012 Aug;304(6):459-63. doi: 10.1007/s00403-012-1219-3. Epub 2012 Feb 17.
Clusterin has been demonstrated to be one of the anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic factors, suggesting the potential to be involved in the development of systemic sclerosis (SSc). The aim of this study is to determine serum clusterin levels and their clinical associations in patients with SSc. Serum clusterin levels were examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 61 SSc patients and 24 healthy individuals. Serum clusterin levels were significantly elevated in SSc patients compared with healthy individuals (P < 0.001). Among SSc patients, there were no differences in serum clusterin levels between those with limited cutaneous SSc (n = 30) and those with diffuse cutaneous SSc (n = 31). SSc patients with raised clusterin levels had digital ulcers and pulmonary arterial hypertension less often than those with normal clusterin levels. The results show that the serum clusterin levels were increased in patients with SSc, and associated with a lower frequency of digital ulcers and pulmonary arterial hypertension. Clusterin could be a protective factor against the development of digital ulcers and pulmonary arterial hypertension in this disease and as such would be a possible therapeutic target.
簇集蛋白已被证明是一种抗炎和抗凋亡因子，提示其可能参与全身性硬皮病（SSc）的发生。本研究旨在确定 SSc 患者血清簇集蛋白水平及其与临床的相关性。通过酶联免疫吸附试验检测了 61 例 SSc 患者和 24 名健康个体的血清簇集蛋白水平。与健康个体相比，SSc 患者的血清簇集蛋白水平显著升高（P < 0.001）。在 SSc 患者中，局限性皮肤型 SSc（n = 30）和弥漫性皮肤型 SSc（n = 31）患者的血清簇集蛋白水平无差异。簇集蛋白水平升高的 SSc 患者发生指溃疡和肺动脉高压的频率低于簇集蛋白水平正常的患者。结果表明，SSc 患者的血清簇集蛋白水平升高，并与指溃疡和肺动脉高压的发生频率降低相关。簇集蛋白可能是该疾病中预防指溃疡和肺动脉高压发生的保护因子，因此可能是一个有治疗前景的靶点。
