Table 3

Plasma cytokine associations with clinical involvement of scleroderma

Present

Absent

Unknown

Cytokine

Odds ratio

95% confidence interval

P value

Interstitial lung disease

120

196

128

IL-6

1.33

1.08 to 1.62

0.006

Pulmonary hypertension

58

255

131

IL-6

1.31

1.04 to 1.67

0.02

IL-13

1.42

1.04 to 1.94

0.03

SSc renal crisis

20

294

130

TNFα

2.22

1.11 to 4.45

0.02

Sjogren's syndrome

118

199

127

IL-8

0.89

0.81 to 0.99

0.03

IL-1β

0.75

0.63 to 0.88

0.0006

Myositis

17

297

130

None

Primary biliary cirrhosis

5

309

140

IL-17

3.46

1.35 to 8.9

0.01

Cytokine levels were normalized using log_n transformation. Logistic regression was used to compare cytokine levels to control subjects for gender and age and odd ratios reflect each cytokine as a continuous variable.

Gourh et al. Arthritis Research & Therapy 2009 11:R147   doi:10.1186/ar2821