BASELINE serum CXCL6 levels distinguished patients with ANCA-ILD and independently predicted ILD progression during follow up later.
Serum CXCL6 Differentiated AAV Patients With ILD
Investigators evaluated whether Serum CXCL6 could help identify interstitial lung disease in antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody associated vasculitis and anticipate clinical worsening over time. Baseline Serum CXCL6 was measured in 292 patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis and compared with 82 healthy controls, alongside assessments of clinical parameters and disease activity.
Serum CXCL6 levels were significantly higher in ANCA-associated vasculitis than in healthy controls, and were markedly higher in patients with ILD than those without ILD. When patients were stratified by CXCL6 level, ILD was more frequent in the high CXCL6 group than the low CXCL6 group, reported as 54% versus 36% (P=0.002). These findings support Serum CXCL6 as a potential serologic signal for identifying AAV-ILD at diagnosis.
Higher Serum CXCL6 Tracked With Activity and ILD Progression
Beyond diagnostic separation, baseline Serum CXCL6 correlated positively with ANCA-associated vasculitis disease activity and with acute phase reactants, including ESR and CRP, suggesting alignment with inflammatory burden at presentation.
To explore prognostic value, the authors examined ILD progression during follow up among patients with AAV-ILD. ILD progression occurred more frequently in those with high Serum CXCL6 than in those with low levels, reported as 53.8% versus 30.0% (P=0.023). In multivariable regression analysis, a high baseline CXCL6 level remained independently associated with ILD progression, indicating that Serum CXCL6 may add prognostic information beyond other measured factors in this cohort.
Clinical Implications
This exploratory study suggests Serum CXCL6 may serve as a practical blood-based biomarker to help identify AAV-ILD and monitor risk of progression. The findings may be clinically relevant in settings where early recognition and closer follow up could influence management decisions for patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis and pulmonary involvement.
Reference: Li W et al. Serum CXCL6 as a biomarker for diagnosing and predicting progression of interstitial lung disease in ANCA-associated vasculitis. Arthritis Res Ther. 2025;doi:10.1186/s13075-025-03720-7.
