Serum cytokine levels were comprehensively measured, and the association with cerebrovascular lesions on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) patients was investigated. The initial serum granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) levels were significantly higher in the high-grade white matter hyperintensities (WMH) group than those in the low-grade WMH group. In multivariate analyses, high serum levels of GM-CSF were independently associated with high-grade WMH. The initial serum GM-CSF levels correlated positively with the Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score and semi-quantitative scales of WMH. The initial serum GM-CSF levels were associated with the severity of WMH in MPA patients.
Keywords: Brain magnetic resonance imaging; Cerebral small vessel disease; Microscopic polyangiitis; White matter hyperintensities.
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