Increased serum interleukin 17 in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Abstract

Interleukin 17 (IL-17) is a Th17 cytokine associated with inflammation, autoimmunity and defense against some bacteria, it has been implicated in many chronic autoimmune diseases including psoriasis, multiple sclerosis and systemic sclerosis. However, whether IL-17 plays a role in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) remains unclear. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the serum IL-17 level in patients with SLE and it's associations with disease manifestations and activity. Fifty-seven patients with SLE and 30 healthy volunteers were recruited. Serum IL-17 levels were examined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Statistic analyzes were performed by SPSS 10.01. Results show that serum IL-17 levels were significantly elevated in SLE patients as compared with normal controls. Nevertheless, no associations of serum IL-17 level with clinical and laboratory parameters were found; no significant difference regarding serum IL-17 level between SLE patients with nephritis and those without nephritis was found; no significant difference was found between Less active SLE and More active SLE; Correlation analysis between serum IL-17 levels and SLEDAI showed no association. Taken together, our results indicate increased serum IL-17 levels in SLE patients, suggesting that this cytokine may trigger the inflammatory process in SLE. However, no associations of serum IL-17 level with disease manifestations were found. Therefore, further studies are required to confirm this preliminary data.

Increased expression of human T-cell immunoglobulin- and mucin-domain-containing molecule-4 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with system lupus erythematosus

“…[15][16][17][18][19] Consistent with data from other labs, we report here that SLE patients have increased serum TNF-a levels. [43][44][45] TNF-a, a common marker for the activation status of macrophages and DCs, is primarily secreted by activated monocytes/macrophages and may induce the increased expression of Tim-4, thus promoting Th2 cell proliferation via interaction with Tim-1.…”

“…[12][13][14] Increased levels of inflammatory factors, such as IL-17 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-a, are detected in the serum from patients with SLE. [15][16][17][18][19] Macrophages, a major cellular constituent of innate immunity and an effective antigen presenting cell (APC) for bridging innate and adaptive immunity, have been widely linked to lupus development. Existing studies focus mainly on defects in macrophage or dendritic cell (DC) phagocytosis, resulting in accumulation of apoptotic debris leading to an array of autoimmune phenomena.…”

Imbalance between Th17 and regulatory T-cells in systemic lupus erythematosus

“…However, in some reports, no association of IL-17 with clinical markers of disease activity was found [22,23]. These inconsistencies are partly due to enrolment of patients regardless of the immunosuppressive therapy or at a different phase of their disease.…”

“…In patients with active SLE, both the increase in percentage of circulating Th17 cells, [12,18,19] and elevated serum concentration of IL-17A have been described [20][21][22][23][24]. However, in some reports, no association of IL-17 with clinical markers of disease activity was found [22,23].…”

Comment on “Serum and synovial fluid levels of interleukin-17 in correlation with disease activity in patients with RA”

“…To reach a definitive conclusion, further studies based on better design are needed. In spite of these, many previous studies have revealed that IL-17, the signature cytokine of the newly described T helper 17 (Th17) cell population, was implicated in the pathogenesis of numerous autoimmune diseases including RA [2][3][4][5][6]. Hopefully, IL-17 may prove to be a promising therapeutic target in RA.…”