@Article{ecn.2018.0410,
AUTHOR = {Chen Liu, Juntao Chen, Baoqing Liu, Shunzong Yuan, Dawei Shou, Liang Wen, Xiaoying Wu, Weihua Gong},
TITLE = {Role of IL-18 in transplant biology},
JOURNAL = {European Cytokine Network},
VOLUME = {29},
YEAR = {2018},
NUMBER = {2},
PAGES = {48--51},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/ECN/v29n2/65404},
ISSN = {1952-4005},
ABSTRACT = {Since pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-18 and its receptor (IL-18R) are closely involved in regulating
both adaptive and innate immune responses, it is conceivable that they might play an important role in organ
transplantation. IL-18 can stimulate lymphocytes to produce the IFN-γ and regulate macrophage activity, thereby
increasing the expression of proinflammatory cytokines including IL-1β, IL-6, CCL4 (macrophage inflammatory
protein-1 β), CXCL2 (macrophage inflammatory protein-2), and CCL2 (monocyte chemotactic protein-1).
Nevertheless, the IL-18 signaling pathway and its underlying mechanisms remain obscure in transplant biology.
This review is to summarize recent advances in our knowledge about the IL-18 signaling pathway and to analyze
their functions in transplant-related biology. It was found that IL-18/IL-18R signaling pathway contributed
to vascular transplantation, ischemmia/reperfusion, acute kidney injury, and acute rejection of kidney/liver/heart
transplantation. IL-18 was a potential CYP3A expression modulator and was capable of affecting tacrolimus pharmacokinetics.
Neutralizing IL-18 by its inhibitor IL-18 binding protein could efficiently suppress the production
of injury-associated cytokines such as IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-γ, CXCL10 (IFN-γ-inducible protein10), and CX3CL1
(fractalkine) and improve allograft function. Blockade of IL-18 signaling could regulate cardiomyocyte apoptosis
and inhibit Th17 cells differentiation. Alteration of IL-18 levels was suggested as a biomarker for predicting ongoing
allograft outcome. All these activities could deepen our understanding of immunobiological role of IL-18 and
its receptor in the field of organ transplantation. Intervention of IL-18 signaling pathway might be utilized as a
therapeutic strategy in clinic.},
DOI = {10.1684/ecn.2018.0410}
}