Abstract:
Objective To investigate the plasma level of interleukin-31 (IL-31) in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and its clinical relevance.
Methods The patients who were diagnosed as PAH in Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University from January 1, 2021 to December 30, 2023 (PAH group) and the healthy people in the same period (control group) were selected. The clinical data and follow-up records were collected. Plasma levels of IL-31, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12p70, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Pearson correlation test was used to evaluate the correlations between IL-31 and right cardiac catheterization parameters, echocardiography parameters and blood indices in patients with PAH. Cox proportional hazard model was used to analyze the prognostic factors of patients in PAH group.
Results A total of 50 patients with PAH and 22 healthy controls were included. There was no significant difference in age, gender, body mass index and left ventricular ejection fraction between the two groups. Compared with the control group, the plasma level of IL-31 in the PAH group was significantly higher (168.82 149.14, 177.26 pg/mL vs 152.76 145.58, 159.41 pg/mL, P=0.001). Pearson correlation test showed that the plasma level of IL-31 in PAH patient was positively correlated with mean pulmonary artery pressure (r=0.652, P < 0.001) and pulmonary vascular resistance (r=0.651, P < 0.001), but was negatively correlated with tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (r=﹣0.496, P < 0.001). Cox proportional hazard model showed that higher plasma level of IL-31 was an independent predictor of readmission for heart failure/all-cause mortality in patients with PAH (HR=1.130, 95%CI 1.052-1.214, P=0.001).
Conclusions Plasma level of IL-31 may be significantly increased in patients with PAH and be positively correlated with the severity of PAH, and elevated level of IL-31 is predictive of poor prognosis in PAH patients.