Progression of Interstitial Lung Disease in Systemic Sclerosis: The Importance of Pneumoproteins Krebs von den Lungen 6 and CCL18.
Elizabeth R VolkmannDonald P TashkinMasataka KuwanaNing LiMichael D RothJulio CharlesFaye N HantGalina S BogatkevichTanjina AkterGrace KimJonathan GoldinZsuzsanna H McMahanPhilip J ClementsDaniel E FurstRobert M ElashoffRichard M SilverShervin AssassiPublished in: Arthritis & rheumatology (Hoboken, N.J.) (2019)
In a rigorously conducted clinical trial for SSc-related ILD, KL-6 and CCL18 levels correlated with ILD severity and declined with immunosuppression. Patients with higher baseline KL-6 and CCL18 levels were more likely to experience disease progression despite treatment. KL-6 and CCL18 levels could be used to identify patients with a progressive ILD phenotype who may benefit from a more aggressive initial treatment approach.