Does oncostatin play a pathogenic role in systemic sclerosis?

Abstract EN

Objective: To detect oncostatin M (OSM) in the sera of systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients and its correlation with the clinical and laboratory findings, particularly, those related to pulmonary fibrosis, for a better understanding of the pathogenesis of the disease.

Methods: Sera from SSc patients (n=23) and healthy controls (n=10) were examined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detection of OSM, for determination of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) with indirect immunofluorescent (IIF) technique.

Nail fold capillaroscopy and pulmonary function tests were done for all patients and controls.

Results: Serum levels of OSM were significantly higher in SSc patients than controls (t=8.9, p<0.001).

Also, patients suffering from interstitial pulmonary fibrosis showed higher serum levels of OSM than those without (t=6.51, p<0.001).

High OSM serum levels correlated negatively with %FVC and %FEV1 (where r=0.73 and 0.81 respectively).

The above data indicate that OSM level correlated significantely with the presence and severity of pulmonary fibrosis in SSc patients.

Conclusion: the elevated levels of OSM may cooperatively contribute to the disease process in SSc, in particular to the development of pulmonary fibrosis.

Our results suggest that OSM might be an ideal candidate as a mediator of fibrosis in SSc.