Serum levels of a Th1 chemoattractant IP-10 and Th2 chemoattractants, TARC and MDC, are elevated in patients with systemic sclerosis.

Although abnormalities of various chemokines are detected in systemic sclerosis (SSc), there are few findings concerning Th1 or Th2 chemoattractants. To determine whether serum levels of chemokines preferentially chemotactic for Th1 cells (IP-10 and MIG) and predominantly chemotactic for Th2 cells (TARC and MDC) are elevated and whether they correlate with clinical features in patients with SSc. Serum samples from patients with diffuse cutaneous SSc (dSSc; n = 34), limited cutaneous SSc (lSSc; n = 30), dermatomyositis (DM; n = 15), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE; n = 22), and normal controls (n = 30) were examined by sandwich ELISA. Serum TARC levels were significantly elevated in dSSc patients (P < 0.0002) and lSSc patients (P < 0.0001) compared with normal controls. Similarly, serum MDC levels were significantly increased in patients with dSSc (P < 0.02) or lSSc (P < 0.05) relative to normal controls. In addition, serum IP-10 was detected significantly more frequently in patients with dSSc (44%), lSSc (30%), or DM (53%) than normal controls (0%) and patients with SLE (0%). Furthermore, elevated TARC levels correlated with the presence of pitting scars and anti-topoisomerase I antibody, increased titers of anti-topoisomerase I and antinuclear antibody, and decreased glomerular filtration rate. Increased MDC levels were associated with pitting scars and younger ages at onset. These results suggest that both Th2 chemoattractants, TARC and MDC, and a Th1 chemoattractant IP-10 play a role in the development of SSc.

Fujii H ，Shimada Y ，Hasegawa M ，Takehara K ，Sato S ... -  《JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGICAL SCIENCE》

Both Th2 and Th1 chemokines (TARC/CCL17, MDC/CCL22, and Mig/CXCL9) are elevated in sera from patients with atopic dermatitis.

Chemokines and their receptors are important elements for the selective attraction and activation of various subsets of leukocytes. Expression of CXCR3 ligands, such as monokine induced by IFN-gamma (Mig) leads to preferential Th1 recruitment, whereas CCR4 ligands, thymus and activation regulated chemokine (TARC) or macrophage derived chemokine (MDC), mediate preferential Th2 recruitment. Although atopic dermatitis (AD) has been shown to be a Th2-type disease, recent studies have revealed that Th1-type cytokines, such as IFN-gamma, especially in chronic skin lesions, play important roles in pathogenesis of AD. The purpose of this study was to investigate serum levels of Th2 chemokines TARC and MDC and a Th1 chemokine Mig in the same samples from patients with AD and their clinical correlation. Serum chemokine levels in patients with AD (n = 55), contact dermatitis (CD; n = 15), and normal controls (n = 30) were examined by ELISA. Serum levels of TARC and MDC in AD patients and CD patients were significantly higher than those found in normal controls. Serum levels of these chemokines were similar for AD patients and CD patients. Furthermore, these levels correlated positively with disease severity, total IgE levels, and peripheral eosinophilia in AD patients. Serum Mig levels in AD patients and CD patients were significantly higher than those in control subjects. However, serum Mig levels were significantly elevated in CD patients relative to AD patients. Furthermore, serum Mig levels correlated positively with levels of both TARC and MDC in AD patients. These results suggest that both Th2 and Th1 chemokines may play roles in the development of AD.

Shimada Y ，Takehara K ，Sato S 《JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGICAL SCIENCE》

Both Th1 and Th2 chemokines are elevated in sera of patients with autoimmune blistering diseases.

Echigo T ，Hasegawa M ，Shimada Y ，Inaoki M ，Takehara K ，Sato S ... -  《ARCHIVES OF DERMATOLOGICAL RESEARCH》

Serum concentrations of the CXC chemokines interleukin 8 and growth-regulated oncogene-alpha are elevated in patients with systemic sclerosis.

Furuse S ，Fujii H ，Kaburagi Y ，Fujimoto M ，Hasegawa M ，Takehara K ，Sato S ... -  《JOURNAL OF RHEUMATOLOGY》

Treatment with IFN-gamma increases serum levels of Th1 chemokines and decreases those of Th2 chemokines in patients with mycosis fungoides.

Hino R ，Shimauchi T ，Tokura Y 《JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGICAL SCIENCE》