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The following is a summary of “Diagnostic and prognostic role of serum interleukin-6 and carotid ultrasonography to detect subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with RA and ANCA-associated vasculitis,” published in the March 2024 issue of Rheumatology by Popova et al.

Despite the severity linked with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), a complex autoimmune disease, monitoring the disease poses challenges due to the absence of well-defined biomarkers.

Researchers conducted a prospective study investigating the diagnostic potential of serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels and vascular ultrasonography in AAV and exploring their association with subclinical atherosclerosis. 

They divided participants into two groups: one with 34 rheumatoid arthritis patients and the other with 35 healthy individuals and 20 patients with AAV. They measured serum levels of IL-6, carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), atherosclerotic plaque, and degree of stenosis. A GRACE-risk score was calculated for patients with AAV and RA to evaluate their risk of cardiovascular events.

The results showed AAV patients with higher levels of IL-6 (115 ± 23.96) in comparison to RA patients ( 91.25 ± 42.63) and healthy cohorts (15.65 ± 3.30) (P<0.001). IL-6 demonstrated a diagnostic accuracy of 73% in distinguishing patients with AAV from RA (AUC=0.730; 95% CI 0.591-0.834). The CIMT value was also higher in patients with AAV  (1.09) than the upper reference value of 0.90 (P<0.001). Additionally, patients with AAV had a higher median GRACE risk score, with 60% classified as high risk for cardiovascular events compared to 35% of patients with RA. 

Investigators concluded that IL-6 levels and vascular ultrasonography could be valuable diagnostic and monitoring tools for detecting and managing complications in patients with AAV.

Source:link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00296-024-05568-7