Abstract:
Objective To investigate the expression levels of serum human cartilage glycoprotein 39(YKL-40), advanced glycation end product (AGE), receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGEs), matrix metalloproteinase 7(MMP-7), interleukin-8(IL-8) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) complicated with interstitial lung disease (ILD) (RA-ILD), and clinical significance.
Methods One hundred patients with RA-ILD and 100 RA patients were divided into the RA-ILD group and RA group. The Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the levels of serum YKL-40, AGE, RAGEs, MMP-7 and IL-8, and the pulmonary function tester was used to detect the forced vital capacity (FVC) and diffusing capacity of carbon monoxide (DLCO) in two groups.
Results The levels of YKL-40, AGE, MMP-7, IL-8, HMGB1, IL-6, IL-17, IL-27, GM-CSF, rheumatoid factor (RF) in the RA-ILD group were significantly higher than those in RA group (P < 0.05), the RAGEs, FVC and DLCO were greatly lower than those in RA group (P < 0.05). The results of Pearson correlation analysis showed that the serum levels of YKL-40, AGE, MMP-7 and IL-8 in RA-ILD patients were significantly positively correlated with RF, HMGB1, IL-6, IL-17, IL-27 and GM-CSF (P < 0.01), and negatively correlated with FVC and DLCO (P < 0.01). The RAGEs were negatively correlated with RF, HMGB1, IL-6, IL-17, IL-27 and GM-CSF (P < 0.01), and positively correlated with FVC and DLCO in RA-ILD patients (P < 0.01). The area under the curve (AUC) of serum YKL-40, SP-A, SP-D, KL-6 and IL-8 alone, and combination with other indicators in the diagnosing of RA-ILD was 0.823, 0.814, 0.737, 0.865 and 0.817, and 0.982, respectively.
Conclusions The serum levels of YKL-40, AGE, MMP-7 and IL-8 in RA-ILD patients greatly increase, and the RAGEs level greatly decreases, and the combined detection may be of great significance for early detection of RA patients complicated with ILD.