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Knowledge of interleukin‐38 (IL‐38), formerly IL‐1 family member 10, is sparse, but Il1f10 polymorphisms are associated with inflammatory diseases, and recombinant IL‐38 inhibits inflammatory responses similar to those reported in the context of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We undertook this study to explore the function of endogenous IL‐38 in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) as well as its abundance in serum in a well‐characterized cohort of SLE patients.

Serum IL‐38 and IL‐10 levels were quantified by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay in 142 SLE patients at ≤3 consecutive visits and in 28 healthy volunteers. To assess IL‐38 function, we silenced IL‐38 in PBMCs from healthy donors using IL‐38 small interfering RNA (siRNA).

IL‐38 (63–5,928 pg/ml) was detectable in 16% of 372 serum samples. IL‐38 abundance was significantly higher in …