Interleukin-21 as a potential therapeutic target for systemic lupus erythematosus.
Interleukin-21(IL-21) is the most recently discovered member of the type-I cytokine family. Structurally, IL-21 shows homology to IL-2, 4, and 15 proteins. It has a variety of effects on the immune system, including B cell activation, plasma cell differentiation, and immunoglobulin production. Many previous studies have identified that IL-21 was associated with different autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and inflammatory bowel disease. In addition, recent work has explored the role of IL-21 in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Elevated expression of IL-21 was found in the sera of patients and mice with SLE. Moreover, association of IL-21 and IL-21R polymorphisms with susceptibility to SLE have been reported. All these findings suggest that IL-21 may have promise as a potential therapeutic target for SLE. In this review, we will discuss the biological features of IL-21, the IL-21 signaling and its potential role in SLE.
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, 230032, Hefei, Anhui, People's Republic of China.
Jing
J
Li
Hai-Feng
HF
Pan
Han
H
Cen
Jing
J
Tian
Yan
Y
Ma
Jin-Hui
JH
Tao
Dong-Qing
DQ
Ye
D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007378:Interleukins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000276:immunology; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D015398:Signal Transduction; D000098546:Interleukin-21
D007378:Interleukins; D000098546:Interleukin-21