title: Expression of IL-18 in psoriasis.
abstract: Interleukin-18 (IL-18) is a novel cytokine that plays an important role in the T-helper 1 (Th1) response, primarily via its ability to induce IFN-gamma production in T cells and NK cells. Human keratinocytes produce IL-18, as do monocytes and macrophages, which are the two major sources of this molecule. It is thought that IL-18 derived from keratinocytes might be involved in the cutaneous Th1-type immune response. In the present study, we investigated the expression of IL-18 in psoriatic lesional skin and attempted to determine whether immunoreactive IL-18 in crude extracts of psoriatic scales is processed to the mature, active form. Immunohistochemical and RT-PCR analysis showed that the expression of IL-18 was increased in psoriatic lesional skin relative to that in normal skin. Western blotting and an ELISA for IL-18 in combination demonstrated that the immunoreactive IL-18 in extracts of psoriatic scales contained the mature form of IL-18, but most of the IL-18 was pro-IL-18. No bioactivity of IL-18 or IFN-gamma inducibility in human PBMC could be detected in psoriatic scales. Taken together, these findings indicate that keratinocyte-derived IL-18 participates in the development of the Th1 response in psoriatic lesions, and that its bioactivity appears to be tightly regulated in cutaneous inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara-shi, Kanagawa, Japan. yukiohta@med.kitasato-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohta
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hamada
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Katsuoka
mesh_terms: D001681:Biological Assay; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000378:metabolism*; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000378:metabolism*; D012016:Reference Values; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D006023:Glycoproteins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D020382:Interleukin-18; C118370:interleukin-18 binding protein