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Table 1 Characteristics of systemic sclerosis patients with low, intermediate and high serum IL-15 levels

From: Serum IL-15 in patients with early systemic sclerosis: a potential novel marker of lung disease

Characteristic

Low IL-15 level, <0.64 pg/ml (n = 33)

 

Intermediate IL-15 level, 0.64–0.88 pg/ml (n = 15)

 

High IL-15 level, >0.88 pg/ml (n = 13)

 

Female/male

29/4

(88/12)

11/4

(73/27)

10/3

(77/23)

Age at onset (years)

52

(45–57)

48

(45–54)

57

(53–61)

Disease duration (months)

19

(13–28)

16

(11–25)

11

(8–21)

Clinical features

      

   Skin score (points)

9

(4–14)

11

(4–17)

15

(8–21)

   Diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis/limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis

8/25

(24/76)

3/12

(20/80)

6/7

(46/54)

   Pitting scars or ulcer

9

(27)

6

(40)

3

(23)

   Telangiectasis

9

(27)

6

(40)

1

(8)

   Calcinosis

6

(18)

5

(33)

5

(38)

Organ involvement

      

   Oesophagus

20

(61)

11

(73)

10

(77)

   Lung (radiological)

7

(21)

2

(13)

4

(31)

   Heart

5

(15)

4

(27)

4

(31)

   Kidney

1

(3)

1

(7)

0

(0)

   Muscle

1

(3)

2

(13)

1

(8)

   Joint

5

(15)

1

(7)

0

(0)

Lung function tests

      

   Vital capacity (p%)

94

(85–103)

94

(84–105)

75

(66–89)*

   Diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (p%)

84

(77–97)

71

(60–87)†

70

(62–81)‡

Serological findings

      

   Antinuclear antibodies

21

(64)

14

(93)

11

(85)

   Anti-scleroderma-70 antibodies

6

(18)

4

(27)

2

(15)

   Anticentromer antibodies

10

(30)

2

(13)

2

(15)

Laboratory findings

      

   Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (mm/hour)

17

(10–27)

12

(8–22)

12

(6–18)

   C-reactive protein (mg/l)

0

(0–6)

0

(0–8)

1.6

(0–8.1)

   Orosomucoid (g/l)

0.8

(0.68–0.91)

0.86

(0.77–0.96)

0.85

(0.80–1.11)

   IgG (g/l)

10.9

(9.5–14.6)

9.5

(7.6–12.2)

12.6

(9.6–15.1)

  1. Data presented as the median (25th and 75th percentiles) or as n (%). Kruskal–Wallis analysis showed P < 0.05 for the vital capacity and diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide. *P < 0.05 for high IL-15 serum level versus low and intermediate IL-15 serum levels; ‡P < 0.05 for high IL-15 serum level versus low IL-15 serum level; †P = 0.057 for intermediate IL-15 serum level versus low IL-15 serum level.