@Article{ecn.2013.0330,
AUTHOR = {Ewa Robak, Lilianna Kulczycka-Siennicka, Zofia Gerlicz, Monika Kierstan, Anna Korycka-Wolowiec, Anna Sysa-Jedrzejowska},
TITLE = {Correlations between concentrations of interleukin (IL)-17A, IL-17B and IL-17F, and endothelial cells and proangiogenic cytokines in systemic lupus erythematosus patients},
JOURNAL = {European Cytokine Network},
VOLUME = {24},
YEAR = {2013},
NUMBER = {1},
PAGES = {60--68},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/ECN/v24n1/65683},
ISSN = {1952-4005},
ABSTRACT = {Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease of multifactorial pathoaetiology. Different
organs and blood vessels may be affected by chronic inflammation. A direct cause of the disease has not yet
been found, so research is being carried out to this effect. The role of the recently identified helper T lymphocyte
CD4+, described as Th17, and its dependent cytokines have been of particular interest. The aim of the study was
to evaluate IL-17A, IL-17B, IL-17F and IL-23 in 60 SLE patients and 26 age-matched, healthy volunteers and
also to investigate the correlation between levels of the investigated cytokines and VEGF, PIGF, as well as number
of endothelial cells. IL-17A, IL-17B, IL-17BR and IL-17F levels were found to be higher in SLE patients than in
the control group. However, only IL-17F levels showed a statistically significant correlation with the number of
endothelial cells (aCEC) and disease activity. Correlations between levels of IL-17F and VEGF and PIGF as well as
VEGF and IL-17A and IL-23 were statistically significant. Increased levels of the selected cytokines from the IL-17
family in SLE patients suggest a role for them not only in the inflammatory process but also in angiogenesis. This
also highlights the role of IL-17F in activating vascular endothelial cells and consequently blood vessel formation,
and in the relationship between the inflammatory reaction and angiogenesis in the development of SLE.},
DOI = {10.1684/ecn.2013.0330}
}