{
  "abstract": "Introduction Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is one of severe manifestations of systemic sclerosis (SSc) and requires active immunosuppressive therapy, including rituximab (RTX). Interleukin-6 (IL-6) have been implicated in the induction of fibrosis, but a definitive relationship between IL-6 and ILD has not been established yet. The aim of our study was to evaluate changes of serum level of IL-6 in patients with ILD associated with SSc (ILD-SSc) on RTX therapy.Material and Methods In this study we prospectively included 66 patients with ILD-SSc. The mean follow-up period was 17,5±13 months. There were 52 female patients (79%). Mean age was 48.5±12 years. The diffuse cutaneous subset of the disease had 43 patients (65%), limited – 23 patients (35%). The mean disease duration was 7.2±6.2 years. All patients received prednisolone at mean dose of 10.6±4.3 mg/day. 9% of patients received cyclophosphamide and 55% - mycophenolate mofetil at inclusion. The cumulative mean dose of RTX was 3.4±2.2 grams. Serum levels of IL-6 were examined by ELISA. The results are presented in the form of mean values, median, lower and upper quartile.Results There was a stabilization of forced vital capacity % predicted (FVC) from 84.5±20 to 86.4±20%. Diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide % predicted (DLCO) also remains stable - from 48.5±19 to 49±21%. The disease activity index (EScSG-AI) decreased from 3.5±1.7 to 2.5±1.5 (p=0.0001). 6-minute walk test improved from 439±146 to 476±109 m (p=0.01). C-reactive protein (CRP) reduced from 3.1 [1; 10] to 2.3 [1; 6.2] mg/l (p=0.01). Serum level of IL-6 changes from 0.0005 [0.0005; 0.001] to 0.0008 [0.0005; 0.001] pg/ml in general group. Higher level of IL-6 was in patients with more severe lung involvement and elevated CRP. We found a moderate statistically significant correlation between the IL-6 and DLCO (r=-0.412;p=0.001), also IL-6 correlated with FVC (r=-0.294;p=0.001). There was a moderate statistically significant correlation between the IL-6 and the disease activity index (EScSG-AI) (r=0.396; p=0.001), between IL-6 and 6-minute walk test (r=-0.530;p=0.001), between IL-6 and CRP (r=0.275; p=0.001).Conclusions There was a stabilization of lung function tests on RTX therapy in our study. It was accompanied with improvement of 6-minute walk test, decrease of the disease activity index and CRP. Serum level of IL-6 did not significantly change in our study, but it was correlated with FVC, DLCO and other evaluated parameters. Serum level of IL-6 could be a marker of the degree of pulmonary involvement and progression in patients with ILD-SSc, but further studies are required.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "VA Nasonova Research Institute of Rheumatology, Moscow, Russia"
      ],
      "name": "Liudmila Garzanova"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "VA Nasonova Research Institute of Rheumatology, Moscow, Russia"
      ],
      "name": "Lidia Ananyeva"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "VA Nasonova Research Institute of Rheumatology, Moscow, Russia"
      ],
      "name": "Olga Koneva"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "VA Nasonova Research Institute of Rheumatology, Moscow, Russia"
      ],
      "name": "Olga Ovsyannikova"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "VA Nasonova Research Institute of Rheumatology, Moscow, Russia"
      ],
      "name": "Oxana Desinova"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "VA Nasonova Research Institute of Rheumatology, Moscow, Russia"
      ],
      "name": "Mayya Starovoytova"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "VA Nasonova Research Institute of Rheumatology, Moscow, Russia"
      ],
      "name": "Rushana Shayakhmetova"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "VA Nasonova Research Institute of Rheumatology, Moscow, Russia"
      ],
      "name": "Anna Khelkovskaya-Sergeeva"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "VA Nasonova Research Institute of Rheumatology, Moscow, Russia"
      ],
      "name": "Anastasiya Avdeeva"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "VA Nasonova Research Institute of Rheumatology, Moscow, Russia"
      ],
      "name": "Mikhail Diatroptov"
    }
  ],
  "title": "P.060 Interleukin-6 as a marker of pulmonary involvement in systemic sclerosis",
  "uid": "aced29d3-bc9f-5c5f-80ba-a9cb1f0105ac"
}