Parallel increase of circulating CXCL11 and CXCL10 in mixed cryoglobulinemia, while the proinflammatory cytokine IL-6 is associated with high serum Th2 chemokine CCL2

Clin Rheumatol. 2013 Aug;32(8):1147-54. doi: 10.1007/s10067-013-2246-y. Epub 2013 Apr 5.

Abstract

The aim was to investigate circulating levels of interelukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand (CXCL)10, CXCL11 and chemokine (C-C motif) ligand (CCL)2 in "mixed cryoglobulinemia and hepatitis C" (MC + HCV). Serum levels of CXCL11, IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, and CCL2 were evaluated in 52 MC + HCV vs 52 sex- and age-matched controls to correlate them to the clinical features of mixed cryoglobulinemia. CXCL11 was significantly higher in MC + HCV than in controls (264 ± 279 vs 70 ± 16 pg/mL, respectively; P = 0.0002; univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA)), in particular in 23 MC + HCV with active vasculitis vs those without (293 ± 221 vs 168 ± 57 pg/mL, respectively; P < 0.001; ANOVA). Significantly high IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, CXCL10, and CCL2 in MC + HCV vs healthy controls were confirmed. In a multiple linear regression model (CXCL11 or CCL2, vs age, alanine aminotransferase, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and CXCL10), CXCL11 was significantly associated with high CXCL10 (P < 0.001), while CCL2 with high IL-6 (P < 0.001). This study demonstrates in MC + HCV high serum levels of (a) T-helper 1 chemokines, CXCL11 and CXCL10 (related to each other) and (b) proinflammatory cytokines IL-6 and CCL2 (related to each other).

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Chemokine CCL2 / blood*
  • Chemokine CXCL10 / blood*
  • Chemokine CXCL11 / blood*
  • Cryoglobulinemia / blood*
  • Cryoglobulinemia / complications
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Hepatitis C / blood*
  • Hepatitis C / complications
  • Humans
  • Inflammation
  • Interleukin-6 / blood*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Regression Analysis
  • Th2 Cells / metabolism*
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / metabolism
  • Vasculitis / blood
  • Vasculitis / complications

Substances

  • CCL2 protein, human
  • CXCL10 protein, human
  • CXCL11 protein, human
  • Chemokine CCL2
  • Chemokine CXCL10
  • Chemokine CXCL11
  • IL6 protein, human
  • Interleukin-6
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha