Efficacy of human epididymis protein-IV as potential lung disease biomarker in comparison to Krebs von den Lungen-VI glycoprotein and apoprotein A2 among systemic sclerosis patients

Abstract
Background
Systemic sclerosis is a connective tissue disease of unknown etiology, characterized by vasculopathy, fibrosis, inflammation, and immune dysregulation that lead to widespread internal organs fibrosis, chronic ischemia, and subsequent end-stage organ failure. Our purpose was to examine the role of human epididymis protein IV as a biomarker of interstitial lung disease severity in comparison to Krebs von den Lungen-VI glycoprotein and apoprotein A2 among systemic sclerosis patients.

Results
There was a highly significant elevation of serum human epididymis protein IV between systemic sclerosis patients (both with and without interstitial lung disease) and the control group (p < 0.001) with the highest value in patients having interstitial lung disease. Krebs von den Lungen-VI and apoprotein A2 also showed a significant difference in their values between the patients’ and control groups (p < 0.01 and = 0.02 respectively).

Conclusion
The level of human epididymis protein-IV was overexpressed in systemic sclerosis patients with interstitial lung disease in comparison to systemic sclerosis patients without interstitial lung disease indicating its high sensitivity as a potential biomarker in fibrotic activity diagnosis.