title: Circulating IL-27 Is Elevated in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients.
abstract: Cytokines are key immunoregulatory molecules that regulate T lymphocyte-mediated immune responses and inflammatory reactions. We determined whether there is aberrant expression of interleukin-27 (IL-27) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and investigated the clinical significance of these changes. IL-27 is a key cellular factor that regulates the differentiation of CD4+ T cells, which can secrete interleukin-10 (IL-10) and interleukin-17 (IL-17) in vivo. Concentrations of serum IL-27 in 67 RA patients, and 36 sex- and age-matched control subjects were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results showed that concentrations of serum IL-27 in all RA patients were significantly higher than in healthy control subjects, and there was a significant and positive correlation between serum IL-27 levels and disease activity in all RA patients. Levels of serum IL-27 in RA patients were significantly correlated with disease activity score in 28 joints (DAS28). Moreover, immunosuppressive treatment with leflunomide downregulated the levels of IL-27 in active RA patients. Therefore, the elevated production of circulating T cell inflammatory factors contributes to the pathogenesis of RA, and serum IL-27 could potentially serve as a new biomarker of RA disease activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China. lxf224234@163.com.
authors.forename: Xiaofei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China. wanghx502@163.com.
authors.forename: Hongxu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China. caoju723@163.com.
authors.forename: Ju
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China. suipian8311@sina.com.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA. ybdai@central.uh.edu.
authors.forename: Yubing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China. 8051226@163.com.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xiang
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China. m13883808552@163.com.
authors.forename: Liping
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007378:Interleukins / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D007378:Interleukins; C464565:MYDGF protein, human
keywords: IL-27; disease activity; immune response; inflammation; rheumatoid arthritis