The Th1 chemokine IP-10 in Systemic sclerosis.

Many studies have suggested that IP-10/CXCR3 axis plays a critical role in the autoimmune process and in fibrosis in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). A longitudinal study demonstrated high serum levels of IP-10 [T-helper (Th)1] and MCP-1 (Th2) chemokines in newly diagnosed SSc. High values of IP-10 were associated with a more severe clinical phenotype (lung and kidney involvement). IP-10 declined during the follow-up, while MCP-1 remained unmodified, suggesting that the disease progresses from the early Th1 inflammatory condition to the advanced Th2-like stage. Other studies have shown that IP-10 is a marker of a more aggressive autoimmune process involving organs such as thyroid or lung. SSc fibroblasts show in vitro various types of dysregulated production of IP-10, when stimulated with cytokines, such as interferons (IFNs). Furthermore, it has been suggested that the IFN-inducible chemokine IP-10 is a stable serologic marker of a more severe form of SSc and may be useful for risk stratification of patients, regardless of disease type (limited or diffuse).