Levels of IL-12 in the sera of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)--relation to Th1- and Th2-derived cytokines - PubMed (original) (raw)

Levels of IL-12 in the sera of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)--relation to Th1- and Th2-derived cytokines

Y Tokano et al. Clin Exp Immunol. 1999 Apr.

Abstract

IL-12 is a cytokine that induces Th1-derived cytokines (interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and IL-2). The significance of IL-12 in human autoimmunity is no clear, and the serum levels of IL-12 in SLE are not clearly established. Therefore, we examined the levels of IL-12 in 39 patients with active SLE, with sandwich ELISA. The levels of IL-12 in patients were significantly higher than in normal subjects. Patients with high levels of IL-12 also had high levels of IFN-gamma, while their levels of IL-13 were significantly lower than in patients with normal levels of IL-12. Patients with pulmonary involvement had high levels of IL-12, and steroid therapy decreased the IL-12 level in three patients. In a retrospective study of seven patients, various changes of IL-12 and IL-13 were recognized before disease flare. Thus, in SLE patients, the level of IL-12 was increased and this increase was related to the change of Th1- or Th2-derived cytokines with some organ involvement.

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Figures

Fig 1

Fig 1

The levels of IL-12 in patients with active SLE and normal subjects. The level in SLE patients increased significantly compared with normal subjects. However, there was wide deviation among the patients.

Fig 2

Fig 2

Changes of IL-12 and IL-13 with steroid therapy in three patients. The level of both cytokines decreased with therapy. However, the level of IL-12 never normalized.

Fig 3

Fig 3

Changes of IL-12 and IL-13 before disease flare in seven patients. The levels of IL-12 in three patients (cases 1–3) increased gradually before the disease flare (a), and those in other patients increased long before flare and decreased prior to flare (b). Although three patients (cases 1, 4 and 6) showed an increase in the level of IL-13, the different change to IL-12 was also shown (cases 2, 4 and 5).

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