Cytokines (IL-17, IL-23 and IL-33) in Systemic lupus erythematosus in Trinidad and Tobago

Abstract

The systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the greatest manifestation of autoimmunity. It is characterized by the presence of cytokines, including type I and II interferons, interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), the immunomodulatory cytokines like IL-10 and TGF-β, be essential players in SLE. Additionally, T-cell-derived cytokines like IL-17A, IL-21, and IL-2 are dysregulated in SLE. In this paper, a prospective cross-sectional and observational study was done. It was measured the levels of 3 essential cytokines in SLE: IL-17A, IL-23, and IL-33 using three enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Thirty (30) patients attending the rheumatoid clinic at one of the major regional hospitals in the Caribbean region were recruited. Mostly females above the childbearing age give their consent to be included in the study and other 30 healthy patients were used a control. Of all the SLE patients, 15 (50%) patients were of Afro-Caribbean descent, 12 (40%) of patients were of Indo-Caribbean descent, and 3 (10%) of patients were of mixed descent. Nineteen (63%) healthy controls were females, and 11 (37%) were males. The results showed that serum IL-17A and IL-23 were more significantly higher in SLE patients than controls (P<0.01); however, there was no statistically significant difference between IL-33 levels between SLE patients and healthy controls. The study showed no correlation between serum IL-17A and IL-23 in SLE patients as judged by the result of the Pearson correlation coefficient (r=0.308, p>0.05). It also showed that serum IL-17A and IL-23 levels positively correlate to the SLE disease activity index 2000 score (SLEDAI score). Nevertheless, IL-33 levels show no correlation with the SLEDAI score. In this study, higher cytokines were reported mostly in patients between the ages of 25 to 30-year-old and Afro-Caribbean descent.

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