title: Associations between serum interleukin-23 levels and clinical characteristics in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyse the association between serum interleukin (IL)-23 mRNA levels and clinical characteristics in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum IL-23 and IL-17 mRNA levels were quantified using real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in patients with SLE and healthy controls. Disease activity was assessed using the SLE Disease Activity Index-2k.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 108 patients with SLE and 60 control subjects were recruited. IL-23 mRNA levels were significantly higher in patients with SLE compared with healthy controls, and in patients with SLE and renal involvement compared with SLE alone. IL-23 mRNA levels were not different between patients with active or inactive SLE, but the IL-17/IL-23 ratio was significantly higher in patients with active disease. IL-17 and IL-23 mRNA levels were strongly correlated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum IL-23 mRNA was elevated in patients with SLE and renal disease, and the IL-17/IL-23 ratio was higher in patients with active SLE. These findings suggest that IL-23 may play an important role in SLE pathogenesis, and that the IL-17/IL-23 ratio may be useful biomarker for active disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Jilin Province People's Hospital, Changchun, China.
authors.forename: Zongshu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Clinical Laboratory of China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China.
authors.forename: Jingwei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China biliqi213@sina.com.
authors.forename: Liqi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D053759:Interleukin-23 / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D020381:Interleukin-17; D053759:Interleukin-23; D012333:RNA, Messenger
keywords: Systemic lupus erythematosus; interleukin-17; interleukin-23; renal disease; serum