Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41090225›Full record

ArticleImmunity, inflammation and disease2025

Serum Levels of 54 Cytokines and Chemokines Reveal Distinct Inflammatory Signatures in Ankylosing Spondylitis.

Huan Li, Ting Wang, Mingze Li, Wei Su, Ying Lv, Jialing Xiao, Xiaoxin Guo, Kai Dong, Chengzi Gan, Jing Zhu and 1 more

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Article in Immunity, inflammation and disease, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Huan LiDepartment of Health Management, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6624-9755
Ting WangDepartment of Health Management, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Mingze LiDepartment of Health Management, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Wei SuDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Ying LvDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Jialing XiaoDepartment of Health Management, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Xiaoxin GuoDepartment of Health Management, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Kai DongDepartment of Health Management, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Chengzi GanDepartment of Health Management, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Jing ZhuDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Bo GongDepartment of Health Management, Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAnkylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory disorder predominantly involving the axial skeleton. Understanding the cytokine and chemokine signatures in AS is crucial for elucidating disease mechanisms and identifying potential diagnostic biomarkers.

methodsSerum samples from 31 AS patients and 20 age-matched healthy controls (HCs) were analyzed. The concentrations of 54 cytokines, chemokines, and angiogenesis-related factors were measured using a Meso Scale Discovery (MSD) electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Data analysis included statistical comparison of serum cytokine levels, heatmap clustering, principal component analysis (PCA), and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Validation was performed using peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from SKG mice, a spontaneous animal model of AS, through quantitative real-time PCR.

resultsCompared with HCs, AS patients showed significantly higher serum concentrations of 12 cytokines (TNF-α, TNF-β, IL-17A, IL-17D, VEGFA, ICAM1, SAA, IP-10/CXCL10, MIP-3α/CCL20, sFlt-1/VEGFR-1, CRP, and MCP-4/CCL13) and significantly lower concentrations of nine cytokines (IL-4, IL-8, IL-17C, MIP-1α/CCL3, eotaxin-3/CCL26, PlGF, VEGF-C, VEGF-D, and bFGF) (all p < 0.05). Heatmap clustering and PCA demonstrated a clear separation between AS patients and HCs. ROC curve analysis showed excellent diagnostic accuracy for IP-10/CXCL10 (AUC = 1.00), VEGF-D (AUC = 0.98), IL-17A (AUC = 0.87), TNF-α (AUC = 0.85), and ICAM1 (AUC = 0.84). Positive correlations were observed between IL-17A and MIP-3α/CCL20, and between VEGFA and sFlt-1, indicating coordinated inflammatory and angiogenic pathways. Validation experiments in SKG mice confirmed elevated IP-10/CXCL10 and reduced VEGF-D expression, supporting cross-species relevance.

conclusionsThis study identified distinct cytokine and chemokine profiles in AS patients. IP-10/CXCL10 and VEGF-D emerged as promising diagnostic biomarkers with high discriminatory power. Several previously unreported immune mediators were also highlighted. These findings provide new insights into AS pathogenesis and suggest potential targets for future therapeutic interventions.

Indexed as

ChemokinesCytokinesInflammationSpondylitis, AnkylosingAdultAnimalsBiomarkersDisease Models, AnimalFemaleHumansLeukocytes, MononuclearMaleMiceMiddle AgedROC CurveBiomarkersChemokinesCytokinesankylosing spondylitischemokinescytokines

Identifiers

PMID41090225
PMCPMC12521873

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.