Interleukin-6 as a Biomarker for Rheumatoid Arthritis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease: A Retrospective Study

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Pulmonology
• Biomarker Discovery

Background:

• Rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD) is a serious complication of rheumatoid arthritis.
• Identifying reliable biomarkers for early detection and prediction of RA-ILD is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the predictive value of interleukin-6 (IL-6) as a biomarker in patients with RA-ILD.
• To assess the diagnostic utility of IL-6 in differentiating RA-ILD from rheumatoid arthritis without ILD.

Main Methods:

• Logistic regression and ROC analysis were used to assess IL-6's risk association and diagnostic value in 361 RA patients.
• Correlation analyses examined the relationship between IL-6, disease activity (DAS28), High-Resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT) scores, and Krebs Von den Lungen-6 (KL-6).

Main Results:

• IL-6 levels were significantly higher in RA-ILD patients compared to RA non-ILD patients (p < 0.001).
• IL-6 demonstrated significant diagnostic utility for RA-ILD with an AUC of 0.810 (p < 0.001), showing 94.4% sensitivity and 63.6% specificity at 8.87 pg/mL.
• IL-6 positively correlated with DAS28 but not with HRCT scores or KL-6.

Conclusions:

• Interleukin-6 (IL-6) shows potential as a novel peripheral blood biomarker for predicting rheumatoid arthritis-associated interstitial lung disease (RA-ILD).
• Further research may validate IL-6's role in clinical practice for RA-ILD management.