title: Association of interleukin-18 and systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: Interleukin-18 (IL-18), belongs to the IL-1 cytokine family, has a variety of effects on dendritic cell, T cell, natural killer cell. Previous studies have identified that IL-18 was associated with the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), wherein elevated expression of IL-18 was found in the serum of patients, and IL-18 polymorphisms with susceptibility to SLE were reported, suggesting that IL-18 may be therapeutically relevant to SLE. In this article, we will discuss the role of IL-18 in the pathogenesis of and its therapeutic potential in SLE based on current understandings.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wang-Dong
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Hai-Feng
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Dong-Qing
authors.initials: DQ
authors.lastname: Ye
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000473:pathology; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D020382:Interleukin-18