Serum levels of KL-6 reflect disease activity of interstitial pneumonia associated with ANCA-related vasculitis.

• Abstract: OBJECTIVE: KL-6 is reported to be excreted from the lung alveolar and bronchial epithelial cells and may be a good marker for monitoring disease activity of interstitial pneumonia. This study was designed to ascertain the clinical significance of serum KL-6 levels in interstitial pneumonia associated with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-related vasculitis. METHODS: Serum KL-6 levels were determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. PATIENTS: We examined 20 healthy subjects, 13 patients with perinuclear (myeloperoxidase, MPO) ANCA-related vasculitis and 12 dermatomyositis (DM)/polymyositis (PM) patients as disease controls in this study. Six out of 13 patients with ANCA-related vasculitis had interstitial pneumonia. RESULTS: Serum levels of KL-6 in ANCA-positive patients with interstitial pneumonia were significantly elevated, while they remained as low as those of healthy subjects in ANCA-positive patients without interstitial pneumonia. Similarly, KL-6 levels in sera were higher in 12 dermatomyositis/polymyositis patients with interstitial pneumonia, while they remained low in DM/PM patients without interstitial pneumonia. Moreover, the elevated serum KL-6 level was reduced during the convalescence induced by glucocorticoid therapy and reflected the disease activity of interstitial pneumonia associated with ANCA-related vasculitis. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that the measurement of serum KL-6 levels may be a good monitoring system for the diagnosis and follow-up of interstitial pneumonia of patients with ANCA-related vasculitis.
• Authors: Y Iwata, T Wada, K Furuichi, K Kitagawa, S Kokubo, M Kobayashi, N Sakai, K Yoshimoto, M Shimizu, K Kobayashi, H Yokoyama (Affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Nephrology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medicine.)
• Journal: Internal medicine (Tokyo, Japan) (Intern Med) Vol. 40 Issue 11 Pg. 1093-7 (Nov 2001) ISSN: 0918-2918 [Print] Japan
• PMID: 11757762 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic
• Antigens
• Antigens, Neoplasm
• Biological Markers
• Glycoproteins
• MUC1 protein, human
• Mucin-1
• Mucins
• Peroxidase

Topics

• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic (blood)
• Antigens
• Antigens, Neoplasm
• Biological Markers (blood)
• Female
• Glycoproteins
• Humans
• Lung Diseases, Interstitial (blood, complications)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Mucin-1
• Mucins
• Peroxidase (immunology)
• Predictive Value of Tests
• Severity of Illness Index
• Vasculitis (blood, complications, immunology)