Levels of IL-12 in the sera of patients with... : Clinical & Experimental Immunology (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
S. MORIMOTO
H. KANEKO
H. AMANO
K. NOZAWA
Y. TAKASAKI
H. HASHIMOTO

Clinical & Experimental Immunology

116

(

)

169

173

April 1999

SUMMARY

IL-12 is a cytokine that induces Th1-derived cytokines (interferon-γ (IFN-γ) 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-γ, 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.