The value of serum Krebs von den lungen-6 as a diagnostic marker in connective tissue disease associated with interstitial lung disease

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the value of serum krebs von den lungen-6 (KL-6) level as a diagnostic indicator for connective tissue disease associated with interstitial lung disease (CTD-ILD). METHODS: One hundred fifty five patients with newly diagnosed CTD in our hospital were enrolled and divided into two groups by their ILD manifestations, the CTD-ILD group and the CTD group. In parallel, 61 patients with pulmonary infection and 60 cases of healthy subjects were also enrolled into the study. The difference of serum KL-6 level among the four groups were compared. In CTD-ILD group, carbon monoxide diffusing capacity (DLCo) and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) of lung were also tested. The serum KL-6 level of 32 patients from the CTD-ILD group who received cyclophosphamide (CTX) pulse therapy were sampled and measured, by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), at three time points: before treatment, 3 months after treatment and 6 months after treatment. RESULTS: The serum KL-6 level in the CTD-ILD group (1004.9 (676.41738.1) IU/ml) is significantly higher than three other groups (χ(2) = 72.29, P < 0.001). In the CTD-ILD group the level of serum KL-6 was positively correlated with disease severity on HRCT (r = 0.75, P < 0.001), while was negatively correlated with DLCo (r = − 0.50, P < 0.001). In 32 patients who received CTX pulse therapy, the level of serum KL-6 was gradually decreased in 20 cases whose lesions were absorbed within 6 months (F = 13.67, P < 0.001), whereas it remained unchanged in the rest of 12 patients (Z = -1.328, P = 0.198). CONCLUSIONS: Serum KL-6 level can potentially serve as a diagnostic marker for CTD-ILD and be utilized to evaluate the effectiveness of CTX pulse therapy.