Mohammad Hassan Jokar1, Simin Jafaripour2, Nafiseh Abdollahi1, Maryam Nazemipour3, Maliheh Moradzadeh1, Mohammad Ali Mansournia4

1Golestan Rheumatology Research Center, Sayad Shirazi Hospital, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
2Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
3Psychosocial Health Research Institute, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
4Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Keywords: Biomarker, hyperlipidemia, long-standing disease, lysyl oxidase, systemic sclerosis.

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the association of serum lysyl oxidase (LOX) levels with systemic sclerosis (SSc), to examine the relationship between LOX and disease onset, and to evaluate the probable effects of hyperlipidemia on the circulating levels of LOX among patients with SSc.

Patients and methods: Between May 2017 and November 2018, a total of 39 patients with SSc (2 males, 37 females; mean age: 46.6±12.3 years; range, 18 to 65 years) and 35 healthy controls (4 males, 31 females; mean age: 43.1±14.1 years; range, 18 to 65 years) were included. Serum LOX concentration was measured using the enzyme-linked immunoassay in triplicate.

Results: We found higher levels of serum LOX in patients with SSc compared to healthy controls. There was a significant relationship between serum LOX levels and disease onset. Patients with long-standing disease demonstrated increased levels of LOX in the blood compared to the recent-onset group. Hyperlipidemia did not have a significant effect on circulating levels of LOX. There was a significant negative correlation between LOX levels and modified Rodnan Skin Score in the subgroup of patients with skin involvement only and in patients without gastrointestinal involvement.

Conclusion: Our study findings show an increased level of LOX protein level in the blood of patients diagnosed with SSc. Hyperlipidemia seems not to affect the concentrations of LOX in the peripheral blood of patients with SSc.

Mohammad Hassan Jokar, Simin Jafaripour, Nafiseh Abdollahi and Mohammad Ali Mansournia contributed equally to this paper.
Citation: Jokar MH, Jafaripour S, Abdollahi N, Nazemipour M, Moradzadeh M, Mansournia MA. Serum lysyl oxidase concentration increases in long-standing systemic sclerosis: Can lysyl oxidase change over time?. Arch Rheumatol 2022;37(2):261-270.

Ethics Committee Approval

The study protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) Committee of the Golestan University of Medical Sciences (GOUMS) (approval ID: ir.goums.rec.1396.242). The study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.

Author Contributions

Contributed to the conception, and design of data, draft an article and gave approval to the final version to be published: M.H.J. and S.J.; Contributed to the conception, design, analysis, and interpretation of data, revised it critically for important intellectual content, and gave approval to the final version to be published: N.A. and M.N.; Contributed to the conception, design, and analysis of data, draft an article and gave approval to the final version to be published: M.M. and M.A.M.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declared no conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article.

Financial Disclosure

Golestan University of Medical Sciences financially supported this research (approval ID: ir.goums. rec.1396.242).