Abstract
Aim of the workTo analyze the level of interleukin 22 (IL-22) in sera of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and to associate its level to disease activity, skin involvement and lupus nephritis. Patients and methodsThe study included 70 SLE patients under treatment with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs and in 50 age and sex matched healthy controls. Patients were assessed for clinical and laboratory variables including the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), Antinuclear Antibodies (ANA), and anti-double stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (ds-DNA). The SLE disease activity index (SLEDAI) was evaluated. Level of IL22 in patients and controls sera was investigated by ELISA. ResultsThe 70 patients were 64 women and 6 men with a mean age of 27.2±8.2years. Levels of IL-22 were significantly increased in sera of SLE patients compared to controls (median 162pg/mL and 58pg/mL, respectively; p<0.001). IL-22 significantly correlated with the SLEDAI as well as with ESR and CRP (r=0.41 and p=0.016; r=0.42 and p=0.01; r=0.996 and p<0.001, respectively). IL-22 level revealed a significant association with skin involvement (p<0.001) and with the absence of lupus nephritis (p=0.007). ConclusionOur data suggest that increased serum IL-22 may contribute to the pathogenesis of SLE. Its elevated serum level allows discrimination between patients with different clinical and laboratory measures and indicates the potential of IL-22 as an additional tool for assessment of activity in SLE. IL22 in serum seems to be a significant index reflecting skin and renal involvement in SLE.
Published Version
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