TY  - EJOU
AU  - Migliorini, Paola 
AU  - Anzilotti, Consuelo 
AU  - Pratesi, Federico 
AU  - Quattroni, Paola 
AU  - Bargagna, Marco 
AU  - Dinarello, Charles A. 
AU  - Boraschi, Diana 

TI  - Serum and urinary levels of IL-18 and its inhibitor IL-18BP in systemic lupus erythematosus
T2  - European Cytokine Network

PY  - 2010
VL  - 21
IS  - 4
SN  - 1952-4005

AB  - Overproduction of inflammation-related cytokines plays an important role in systemic lupuserythematosus (SLE). A crucial cytokine is IL-18, a member of the IL-1 family involved in the regulation ofboth innate and acquired immune responses. The aim of this study was to evaluate free IL-18 levels in theserum and urine of SLE patients, in order to establish their relationship with other biomarkers of disease activ-ity. Serum and urine levels of IL-18 and IL-18BP were measured by ELISA in 50 SLE patients and in32 healthy subjects; free IL-18 was calculated using the law of mass action. Serum levels of total IL-18,IL-18BP and free IL-18 were higher in SLE patients than in healthy controls. Total and free serum IL-18 levelswere higher in patients with active disease (with nephritis or active non-renal disease), and correlated with theECLAM score. Urinary levels of total and free IL-18 were higher in patients than in controls, but did not corre-late with disease activity. The data collected in this study show that increased levels of both IL-18 and its natu-ral inhibitor IL-18BP, characterise SLE. Despite the overproduction of IL-18BP, free IL-18 is still significantlyhigher in SLE patients than in controls, and its serum levels are a marker of disease activity.
KW  - systemic lupus erythematosus
KW  -  IL-18
KW  -  inflammation

DO  - 10.1684/ecn.2010.0210