Table 2.
Cytokine and chemokine abnormalities associated with SLE.
| Cytokine/Chemokine | Abnormality | Disease Association |
|---|---|---|
| IFNα/β | Elevated levels in serum and CSF | CNS and hematological manifestations; fever |
| IFN signature | Upregulated expression of IFN-regulated genes | CNS (cerebritis), hematologic, and renal manifestations |
| IFN-inducible chemokines | ||
| MCP-1 (CCL2) | Increased levels in serum and/or urine; increased gene expression | Disease activity/flares |
| RANTES (CCL5) | Lupus nephritis | |
| MIP-3B (CCL19) | NPSLE | |
| IP-10 (CXCL10) | Hypocomplementemia | |
| SIGLEC-1 | Autoantibodies (anti-dsDNA, anti-U1-RNP; Ro, Sm) | |
| CXCL1 | ||
| CXCL16 | ||
| IFNγ | Elevated serum levels | Disease activity? |
| IL-17 | Elevated serum levels | Disease activity? |
| IL-6 | Elevated levels in serum and urine | Disease activity; anti-dsDNA levels; low serum C3/C4; lupus nephritis |
| IL-10 | Elevated serum levels | Disease activity; anti-dsDNA levels; low serum C3/C4 |
| IL-12 | Elevated or decreased levels reported in different studies | Lupus nephritis (elevated levels in serum and urine) |
| IL-15 | Elevated serum levels | Disease pathogenesis? |
| IL-21 | Elevated serum levels | Disease activity; disease pathogenesis? |
| IL-2 | Decreased serum levels | Disease pathogenesis? |
| IL-1 | Elevated serum levels | Disease activity |
| IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) | Decreased serum levels | Lupus nephritis |
| BAFF (BLys) | Elevated serum levels | Disease activity |
| TNFα | Elevated levels in serum and kidneys | Disease activity; correlated with serum IFNα levels |
BAFF, B-cell activating factor; CNS, central nervous system; CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; IFN, interferon; IL, interleukin; NPSLE, neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus; SLE, systemic lupus erythematosus; TNF, tumor necrosis factor