Serum B cell activating factor (BAFF) as a prognostic biomarker in interstitial lung diseases associated with connective tissue diseases

Background; B cell activating factor (BAFF) is a vital homeostatic cytokine for B cells, and has been associated with autoimmune diseases. We have already shown that the However, the elevation of serum BAFF has not been investigated in patients with interstitial lung diseases associated with connective tissue diseases (CTD-ILD) and idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP). However, BAFF has not been confirmed as a prognostic biomarker for CTD-ILD. Aim; The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of serum BAFF as a prognostic useful biomarker in patients with CTD-ILD. Methods; We evaluated the association between serum BAFF concentrations and mortality in 37 patients with CTD-ILD. 23 healthy volunteers were included as a control group. Serum BAFF levels were measured by ELISA. Results; Serum BAFF levels in serum were significantly elevated in patients with CTD-ILD (2.2±1.1 ng/ml) compared with control subjects (0.7±0.1 ng/ml, pl0.01). We found that increased serum BAFF level (g2.4 ng/ml) was associated with increased risk of mortality (hazard ratio, 15.01; 95% confidence interval, 1.43 to 156.70; p=0.02). Conclusions; Increased serum BAFF level might be a predictor of mortality in patients with CTD-ILD.