CIRCULATING LEVELS OF SOLUBLE CD30 ARE INCREASED IN PATIENTS WITH SYSTEMIC-SCLEROSIS (SSC) AND CORRELATE WITH SEROLOGICAL AND CLINICAL-FEATURES OF THE DISEASE

Activated Th2 lymphocytes express the surface molecule CD30 and releas e a soluble form of the same molecule which can be detected both in vi vo and in vitro. In the present study, high levels of soluble CD30 wer e found in the peripheral blood of patients with SSc, and a significan t correlation with skin score and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was detected. Furthermore, we observed a higher spontaneous release o f soluble CD30 in the supernatants of unstimulated cultures of periphe ral blood mononuclear cells from our patients compared with healthy co ntrols. Taken together, these data suggest a possible involvement of T h2 cells in the immunopathogenesis of SSc, and the dosage of CD30 solu ble in the peripheral blood may be helpful in following the outcome of the disease.