Background
Interleukin 27 (IL27) is a cytokine that belongs to IL12 family and it is mainly
produced by antigen presenting cells. IL27 binding to its receptor leads to activation
of many intracellular signaling pathways that can exhibit a wide variety of
immunomodulatory actions.
Aim of the work
The current study aimed to determine IL27 concentrations in the sera of SSc
patients and to assess the relation between these concentrations and the various
clinical, laboratory and radiological disease parameters.
Methods
We measured serum IL27 concentrations in 31 SSc patients and 20 controls. The
patients were subjected to detailed history and clinical evaluation. In SSc patients,
modified Rodnan skin score (MRSS) was used to assess the skin thickness and
pulmonary involvement was assessed by high resolution computerized tomography
(HRCT) and forced vital capacity (FVC) assessment.
Results
IL27 serum concentrations in diffuse (median, 302.8; 101.6-1034.4 ng/L) and
limited (median, 385; 109-826.3 ng/L) subtypes of SSc showed a significant
elevation (P < 0.001) compared to its concentrations in the controls (median,
104.2; 51-184.2 ng/L). SSc patients with elevated IL27 serum concentrations had
significantly lower forced vital capacity (FVC) than those with normal IL27 serum
concentrations (p=0.04). Also, serum level of sCD163 significantly correlated with
MRSS (r=0.48, p=0.0064) and FVC (r=-0.6, p=0.0005).
Conclusion
Patients with systemic sclerosis have significantly increased serum IL27
concentrations that remarkably associated with significant cutaneous and
pulmonary involvement signifying that it could be a beneficial biomarker that
reflects disease severity and implies a possible pathogenic role in SSc. |
