TY - JOUR T1 - Elevated serum B cell activating factor belonging to the TNF family (BAFF) in interstitial lung diseases associated with collagen vascular disease JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J VL - 40 IS - Suppl 56 SP - P706 AU - Tsutomu Hamada AU - Samukawa Takuya AU - Keiko Mizuno AU - Ikkou Higashimoto AU - Hiromasa Inoue Y1 - 2012/09/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/40/Suppl_56/P706.abstract N2 - Background: BAFF is a vital homeostatic cytokine for B cells. Increased serum levels of BAFF were found in a number of different autoimmune diseases and patients with polymyositis with interstitial lung disease (ILD) had higher BAFF levels than those without ILD. However, serum BAFF levels have not been reported in patients with ILD associated with collagen vascular disease (CVD-IP) and idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP).Aim: We investigated serum levels of BAFF in patients with CVD-IP and with IIP to determine whether they correlate with pulmonary function.Methods: Twenty-seven patients with IIP (n=15) and CVD-IP (n=12), who visited our institution from 2008 to 2010 and underwent pulmonary function test, were enrolled. Underlying CVDs consisted of rheumatoid arthritis (n=4), dermatomyositis (n=2), systemic sclerosis (n=2), ANCA-associated systemic vasculitis (n=1), and mixed connective tissue disease (n=1). Twenty-three healthy volunteers were included as a control group. Serum BAFF levels were measured by ELISA.Results: Serum BAFF levels were 4.4 ± 1.2 ng/ml for CVD-IP, 3.1±0.6 ng/ml for IIP, and 2.0 ± 0.1 ng/ml for the control. BAFF was significantly elevated in CVD-IP compared with control subjects. An inverse relationship between serum BAFF levels and DLco was noted in patients with CVD-IP.Conclusion: We found elevated serum BAFF levels in CVD-IP patients and correlation with severity for ILD. ER -