Biotechnology Department, College of Science, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq.
Tropical-Biological Research Unit, College of Science, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq.
Cytokine. 2023 Feb;162:156117. doi: 10.1016/j.cyto.2022.156117. Epub 2022 Dec 29.
The current study examined five cytokines, three belong to interleukin (IL)-1 family (IL-36α, IL-37 and IL-38), one belongs to IL-12 family (IL-39) and one has not been assigned to a family (IL-40), in the serum of 110 male patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and 103 male controls. Studies regarding these cytokines in AS are very limited. Therefore, the significance of IL-36α, IL-37, IL-38, IL-39 and IL-40 as biomarkers of AS was evaluated. Cytokine levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Results revealed that serum levels (median and interquartile range) of IL-36α (90.7; 53.7-166.2 vs 39.7; 31.3-59.2 pg/mL; probability [p] < 0.001), IL-37 (161.3; 62.8-236.6 vs 58.4; 46.8-80.7 ng/mL; p < 0.001), IL-38 (135.8; 78.2-213.5 vs 65.8; 51.1-87.1 pg/mL; p < 0.001), IL-39 (57.7; 34.1-92.3 vs 29.1; 19.3-58.6 ng/L; p < 0.001) and IL-40 (3.89; 2.99-6.19 vs 2.10; 1.75-2.68 ng/L; p < 0.001) were significantly higher in AS patients than in controls. Besides, they were of value in distinguishing between AS patients and controls as evidenced by the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis: area under the curve = 0.797 (IL-36α), 0.75 (IL-37), 0.797 (IL-38), 0.728 (IL-39) and 0.886 (IL-40). Some of these cytokines were significantly correlated, but no correlation with AS activity was found. In conclusion, the levels of IL-36α, IL-37, IL-38, IL-39 and IL-40 were up-regulated in the serum of AS patients regardless of age, age at disease onset, disease duration, disease activity or HLA-B27.
目前的研究检测了 110 名男性强直性脊柱炎（AS）患者和 103 名男性对照者血清中的五种细胞因子，三种属于白细胞介素（IL）-1 家族（IL-36α、IL-37 和 IL-38），一种属于 IL-12 家族（IL-39），一种尚未归类家族（IL-40）。关于这些细胞因子在 AS 中的研究非常有限。因此，评估了 IL-36α、IL-37、IL-38、IL-39 和 IL-40 作为 AS 生物标志物的意义。使用酶联免疫吸附测定试剂盒测量细胞因子水平。结果表明，血清中 IL-36α（90.7；53.7-166.2 比 39.7；31.3-59.2 pg/mL；概率 [p] < 0.001）、IL-37（161.3；62.8-236.6 比 58.4；46.8-80.7 ng/mL；p < 0.001）、IL-38（135.8；78.2-213.5 比 65.8；51.1-87.1 pg/mL；p < 0.001）、IL-39（57.7；34.1-92.3 比 29.1；19.3-58.6 ng/L；p < 0.001）和 IL-40（3.89；2.99-6.19 比 2.10；1.75-2.68 ng/L；p < 0.001）在 AS 患者中明显高于对照组。此外，这些细胞因子的受试者工作特征曲线分析表明，它们在区分 AS 患者和对照组方面具有价值：曲线下面积 = 0.797（IL-36α）、0.75（IL-37）、0.797（IL-38）、0.728（IL-39）和 0.886（IL-40）。其中一些细胞因子显著相关，但与 AS 活动无相关性。总之，无论年龄、发病年龄、疾病持续时间、疾病活动度或 HLA-B27 如何，AS 患者血清中 IL-36α、IL-37、IL-38、IL-39 和 IL-40 的水平均上调。
