ORIGINAL ARTICLE Association of serum MIP-1α, MIP-1β, and RANTES with clinical manifestations, disease activity, and damage accrual in systemic lupus erythematosus Luis M. Vilá & María J. Molina & Angel M. Mayor & José J. Cruz & Eddy Ríos-Olivares & Zilka Ríos Received: 24 April 2006 / Revised: 21 June 2006 / Accepted: 27 June 2006 / Published online: 19 August 2006 # Clinical Rheumatology 2006 Abstract The aim of this study was to determine if macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP) 1α, MIP-1β, and RANTES (regulated upon activation normally T-cell expressed and secreted) serum concentrations are associated with clinical manifestations, disease activity, and damage accrual in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). A cross-sectional study was performed in 62 SLE patients (per American College of Rheumatology criteria) participating in a longitudinal study and 20 healthy subjects. MIP-1α, MIP-1β, and RANTES serum concen- trations were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Demographic parameters, clinical manifestations, serologic features, pharmacologic treatments, disease activ- ity, and damage accrual were determined at study visit. Disease activity was assessed with the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Activity Measure (SLAM), and disease damage was assessed with Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinic Damage Index (SDI). The relation between the variables was studied with the Student t test and the Pearson r correlation test. SLE patients were more likely to have higher concentrations of MIP-1β and RANTES than healthy individuals. In addition, they had a trend to have higher concentrations of MIP-1α. Patients with discoid lupus were more likely to have higher levels of MIP-1α. Elevation of MIP-1β correlated with higher SDI score. No association was found between serum chemo- kines levels and disease activity. In conclusion, SLE patients have higher serum levels of MIP-1β and RANTES than healthy individuals. MIP-1α is associated with discoid lupus, and MIP-1β correlates with damage accrual in SLE. This study suggests that chemokines may have a role in the pathogenesis of SLE. Keywords Chemokines . Clinical manifestations . Damage accrual . Disease activity . Systemic lupus erythematosus Introduction Chemokines are chemoattractant cytokines classified in four groups (CC, CXC, XC, and CX3C) based on the amino acid motif present between the first two N-terminal cysteine residues [1]. They play a role in leukocyte migration, differentiation, adhesion, and activation [2–4]. Some chemokines have been implicated in the pathogenesis of autoimmune connective tissue diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis, and systemic sclerosis [5–7]. SLE patients have increased expression of chemokine receptors (CXCR2, CXCR3, CCR3, and CCR1) and elevated plasma levels of chemokines such as monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1), macrophage inflamma- tory protein 1β (MIP-1β), stromal-derived factor 1α (SDF- 1α), and interferon-inducible protein 10 (IP-10) [5]. They also have elevated serum levels of RANTES (regulated Clin Rheumatol (2007) 26:718–722 DOI 10.1007/s10067-006-0387-y L. M. Vilá (*) : M. J. Molina : J. J. Cruz Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus, San Juan, Puerto Rico e-mail: lvila@rcm.upr.edu A. M. Mayor Department of Internal Medicine, Universidad Central del Caribe, School of Medicine, Bayamón, Puerto Rico E. Ríos-Olivares : Z. Ríos Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Universidad Central del Caribe, School of Medicine, Bayamón, Puerto Rico