Elevated serum levels of soluble L-selectin in patients with systemic sclerosis declined after intravenous injection of lipo-prostaglandin E1.

To determine whether serum soluble L-selectin (sL-selectin) levels are elevated in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and whether serum sL-selectin levels change after treatment with lipo-prostaglandin E1 (lipo-PGE1), serum sL-selectin levels were examined by ELISA in patients with SSc (n=24), psoriasis vulgaris (n=22), and contact dermatitis (n=9), as well as normal control subjects (n=26). In five patients with SSc, serum sL-selectin levels were examined before and after intravenous injections of lipo-PGE1. Serum sL-selectin levels were significantly increased in patients with SSc (P<0.01) than those in normal control subjects. The elevated serum sL-selectin levels in patients with SSc significantly decreased 1 day (P<0.05), 7 days (P<0.05) and 14 days (P<0.05) after starting the treatment with lipo-PGE1. These results suggest that L-selectin may be involved in the disease process in SSc, and lipo-PGE1 may alter some inflammatory events in SSc.