@Article{ecn.2019.0430,
AUTHOR = {Maryam Zarrabi, Nasser Gholijani, Saeedeh Shenavandeh, Elham Aflaki, Zahra Amirghofran},
TITLE = {IL-38 serum levels in patients with Behcet’s disease and the relationship with clinical features},
JOURNAL = {European Cytokine Network},
VOLUME = {30},
YEAR = {2019},
NUMBER = {3},
PAGES = {82--87},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/ECN/v30n3/65389},
ISSN = {1952-4005},
ABSTRACT = {Behcet’s disease (BD) is a chronic multisystem autoimmune disorder. Various cytokines take part in the
pathogenesis of this disease. Interleukin (IL)-38, a new member of IL-1 cytokine family, has been reported to have antiinflammatory
properties; however, its role in BD has not been investigated yet. In this study, we aimed to examine the
probable role of IL-38 in the clinical context of BD. A total of 81 patients with BD and 81 age- and sex-matched healthy
subjects as controls were included in this study. The serum levels of IL-38 were measured in patients and controls sera using
enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The relationship between the serum levels of IL-38 and clinical and laboratory
characteristics of the patients were determined. IL-38 serum levels were significantly lower in patients in comparison with
healthy controls at P = 0.003. We found significant differences between IL-38 levels in BD patients with positive and
negative pathergy tests (P = 0.048) and patients with and without eye involvement (P = 0.046). Despite the absence of
significant differences in serum levels between male and female patients, IL-38 levels were higher in female patients with a
positive pathergy test (P = 0.048) and those patients with eye involvement (P = 0.046). As healthy controls showed higher
IL-38 serum levels than patients, a protective anti-inflammatory role of IL-38 in BD is suggested. Together, these results
suggest that the positive relationship between IL-38 serum levels and eye involvement that IL-38 may play a role in this
clinical feature of the disease.},
DOI = {10.1684/ecn.2019.0430}
}