Elevation of proinflammatory cytokine (IL-18, IL-17, IL-12) and Th2 cytokine (IL-4) concentrations in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

• Published in: Lupus Vol. 9; no. 8; pp. 589 - 593
• Main Authors: Wong, C K, Ho, CY Y, Li, EK, Lam, CWK
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Thousand Oaks, CA SAGE Publications 01.01.2000; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Asian Continental Ancestry Group; China - ethnology; Cytokines; Cytokines - blood; Disease; Female; Hong Kong; Hospitals; Humans; Inflammation; Interleukin-12 - blood; Interleukin-17 - blood; Interleukin-18 - blood; Interleukin-4 - blood; Interleukins - blood; Lupus; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic - blood; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic - immunology; Lymphocytes; Male; Middle Aged; Pathogenesis; Plasma; Reference Values; Th2 Cells - immunology; Tumor necrosis factor-TNF; Hong Kong; China; Hong Kong China; United Kingdom > UK; Wales; systemic lupus erythematosus; proinflamma torycytokines; T helper cell cytokines
• ISSN: 0961-2033; 1477-0962
• DOI: 10.1191/096120300678828703

Previous studies have indicated that the autoimmune phenomenon might be caused by an imbalance of T helper cell (Th) cytokines. We measured the plasma concentrations of three novel proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-17, IL-18, IL-12 and a key Th2 cytokine IL-4 in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and correlated the ratio of proin/Th2 cytokines with SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI). Plasma IL-12, IL-17, IL-18 and IL-4 concentrations of 36 SLE patients and 18 sex-and age-matched control subjects were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. All were significantly higher in SLE patients than control subjects (IL-12, mean± s.d. of 166.7± 84.5 vs 93.5± 39.2 pg/ml, P < 0.001; IL-17, 76.5± 45.7 vs 37.6± 35.3 pg/ml, P = 0.002; IL-18, 368.7± 199.5 vs 141.1± 47.1 pg/ml, P < 0.001; and IL-4, 27.1± 15.3 vs 17.3± 7.2 pg/ml, P < 0.05), and IL-18/IL-4 ratio correlated positively and significantly with SLEDAI score (r = 0.435, P = 0.006). We propose that SLE is characterized by an elevation of both Th1 and Th2 cytokines: the elevation of proinflammatory cytokine IL-12, IL-17 and IL-18 may trigger the inflammatory process in SLE and the elevation of IL-18/IL-4 ratio suggests an imbalance of cytokine profile to mediate the inflammatory response.