Resistin: a possible biomarker of organ involvement in systemic sclerosis patients?

Resistin has strong pro-inflammatory and profibrotic properties, which are key pathogenetic processes in systemic sclerosis. We hypothesised that resistin may be associated with organ involvement and inflammatory process in SSc patients. To address this hypothesis, the aim of this study was to define serum resistin levels in SSc patients and control group and determine the correlation between this adipokine and internal organ involvement in SSc patients.

The study enrolled 48 Caucasian female patients with SSc and 38 healthy subjects of control group. Serum concentrations of resistin were measured using commercially available ELISA Kits (Quantikine ELISA Kit R & D Systems, Minneapolis, MN, USA).

Patients with SSc had higher resistin levels [mean (SD): 10.2, (4.87)] than the control group [7.64, (4.43)] and the difference was statistically significant (p=0.017, p<0.05). We found statistically significant association between serum resistin and ILD, arthralgia and oesophageal involvement (r=0.31, p=0.042; r=0.48, p=0.001; r=0.32, p=0.034; respectively). Moreover, the assessment of the relation between plasma concentrations of resistin and inflammatory parameters in SSc patients indicated a positive correlation between resistin and C-reactive protein levels (r=0.37; p=0.011).

The results of our study indicate that resistin levels might correlate with organ involvement and inflammatory process in SSc patients.