Skip to main content
. 2022 Aug 23;39(10):4474–4508. doi: 10.1007/s12325-022-02241-y

Table 3.

Interleukins involved in dermatological diseases, important associated comorbidities, and relevant experimental or approved therapeutics

Interleukin Important dermatological conditions Important co-morbidities Relevant therapeutics References

IL-1α/β

IL-RA

Hereditary systemic autoinflammatory diseasesa

Systemic inflammatory diseasesb

Hidradenitis suppurativa

Pustular psoriasis

Neutrophilic dermatoses

Urticarial vasculitis

Kawasaki disease

Erdheim–Chester disease

Diabetes

Cardiac remodeling

Gout

RA

Osteoarthritis

GVHD

Dry eye disease

Rilonacept is an interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1α) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) cytokine trap indicated for cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes, familial cold autoinflammatory

syndrome and Muckle–Wells syndrome, deficiency of IL-1 receptor antagonist, and recurrent pericarditis

Canakinumab is a recombinant, human anti-human-IL-1β monoclonal antibody indicated for treatment of autoinflammatory periodic fever syndromes

Anakinra is a recombinant, nonglycosylated form of IL-1RA indicated for rheumatoid arthritis, cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes (CAPS), and deficiency of interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (DIRA)

[113118]
IL-2

Alopecia areata

Malignant melanoma

Aldesleukin is a recombinant IL-2 protein therapy approved for use in patients with stage IV melanoma [119, 120]
IL-4

Atopic dermatitis

Scleroderma

Bullous pemphigoid

Atopic comorbidities Dupilumab, an FDA approved anti-IL-4Rα monoclonal antibody for treatment of patients with atopic dermatitis or asthma [70, 121124]
IL-5

Atopic dermatitis

Hypereosinophilic syndrome

Asthma

EoE

Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis

Nasal polyposis

Benralizumab, mepolizumab, and reslizumab are 3 FDA-approved anti-IL-5 antibodies for treatment of adult patients with severe eosinophilic asthma [125127]
IL-6

Psoriasis (–)

Pustular psoriasis

Hidradenitis suppurativa

Wound Healing

RA

Psoriatic Arthritis (–)

Cardiovascular disease

Depression

Diabetes

Tocilizumab, monoclonal antibody against IL-6R, indicated for RA, giant cell arteritis, systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease, polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis, systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, cytokine release syndrome

Siltuximab, monoclonal antibody against IL-6, indicated for multicentric Castleman’s disease

[26, 31, 128133]
IL-7

CTCL (elevated levels)

Generalized verrucosis and HPV-3 susceptibility (inherited IL-7 deficiency)

T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Sjögren’s syndrome

Multiple sclerosis

Safety of GSK2618960, an experimental anti-IL-7R antibody, has been assessed in healthy subjects (NCT02293161)

RN168, an experimental anti-IL-7R antibody, is being assessed in patients with type I diabetes (NCT02038764)

[134140]
IL-8

Psoriasis

Pyoderma gangrenosum

IBD

Ovarian cancer

BMS-986253 is an experimental anti-IL-8 monoclonal antibody being assessed in patients with incurable metastatic or unresectable solid tumors (NCT02536469) [32, 33, 141143]
IL-9

Atopic dermatitis

Allergic contact dermatitis

Mycosis fungoides

Important defense mechanism against Candida

[75, 144147]
IL-10

SLE

Pemphigus vulgaris

Bullous pemphigoid

Alopecia areata

Psoriasis

Atopic dermatitis

Allergic contact dermatitis

Melanoma

BCC/SCC

Cutaneous lymphomas

Hypertrophic scarring

Important in viral diseases: HIV, EBV, Herpesviruses, CMV, Poxviruses

Leishmaniasis

Leprosy

Systemic sclerosis

SCH708980, a monoclonal anti-IL-10 antibody being assessed as an anti-immunosuppressive agent in visceral leishmaniasis (NCT01437020) [148, 149]
IL-11

Psoriasis

Atopic dermatitis (skin remodeling)

Cardiovascular fibrosis [34, 76, 150]
IL-12

Psoriasis

Atopic dermatitis

Photocarcinogenesis

Important in protection against infections and allergens Ustekinumab, an anti-IL-12/23 antibody is indicated for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, active psoriatic arthritis, moderate-to-severe Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis [36, 151154]
IL-13

Atopic dermatitis

Behçet’s disease

Systemic sclerosis

Localized scleroderma

Dupilumab, see above

Lebrikizumab, an experimental anti-IL-13 monoclonal antibody for treatment of atopic dermatitis (NCT03443024) or asthma (NCT02104674)

Tralokinumab, anti-IL-13 antibody for treatment of patients with atopic dermatitis (NCT03131648 and NCT03160885) or asthma (NCT02161757 and NCT02194699). It has received regulatory approval by Health Canada

[83, 155162]
IL-14

Sjögren’s syndrome

SLE

[163, 164]
IL-15

Vitiligo

Mycosis fungoides

RA

Sarcoidosis

IBD

Transplant rejection

Hematologic malignancies

Infections

IL-15 superagonist complex N-803 is an experimental treatment being assessed in BCG-unresponsive non-muscle invasive bladder cancer patients (NCT03022825) [165168]
IL-16

Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma

Systemic sclerosis

SLE

Bullous pemphigoid

HIV/immune reconstitution syndrome [169173]
IL-17

Psoriasis

Psoriatic arthritis

Ankylosing spondylitis

Tumor progression

Asthma

IBD

Secukinumab and ixekizumab (IL-17A antibodies) and brodalumab (IL-17RA antibody)

Bimekizumab, a monoclonal antibody that targets both IL-17A and IL-17F that was assessed in clinical trials in patients with plaque psoriasis (NCT03536884). It is approved by the EMA, and pending approval by the FDA and Health Canada

Sonelokimab is an IL-17A/17F nanobody which neutralizes both IL-17A and IL-17F, and is currently being assessed in patients with plaque psoriasis (NCT03384745)

[39, 40, 43, 174178]
IL-18

Lupus

Hemophagocytic syndrome

IBD

CVD

GSK1070806, an experimental monoclonal antibody against IL-18 (NCT03522662) [179183]
IL-19

Psoriasis

Atopic dermatitis

[46, 184]
IL-20 Psoriasis

RA

PsA

[47, 49]
IL-21

SLE

Psoriasis

Atopic dermatitis

Alopecia areata

Melanoma (anti-tumorigenic role)

RA

IBD

Colon cancer

[50, 185192]
IL-22

Psoriasis

Atopic dermatitis

Contact dermatitis

Scleroderma

CTCL

Squamous cell carcinoma

Multiple sclerosis

RA

Fezakinumab, a monoclonal anti-IL-22 antibody being assessed in atopic dermatitis (NCT01941537) [51, 52, 77, 193200]
IL-23 Psoriasis

Crohn’s disease

RA

PsA

Ustekinumab, see above

Guselkumab, risankizumab, tildrakizumab

[35, 90, 201203]
IL-24

Psoriasis

Contact dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis

IBD (suppresses mucosal inflammation) [48, 54, 204206]
IL-25 Psoriasis Asthma [55, 207, 208]
IL-26

Hidradenitis suppurativa

Psoriasis

Behçet’s disease

RA

Crohn’s disease

Asthma

COPD

[56, 209215]
IL-27

Psoriasis

Systemic sclerosis

COPD

Breast cancer

Sjögren's syndrome

Rheumatoid Arthritis

[58, 216220]
IL-28 SLE

Sepsis

HCV clearance

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis

[221224]
IL-29

SLE

Psoriasis

Atopic dermatitis

Systemic sclerosis

RA

Osteoarthritis

Uveitis

Sjögren’s syndrome

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis

Peginterferon Lambda-1A or IL-29 is being assessed in clinical trials for treatment of patients with COVID-19 (NCT04354259) or hepatitis C (NCT01866930) [62, 224231]
IL-30 Psoriasis

Breast cancer

Prostate cancer

[59, 232, 233]
IL-31 Chronic pruritic skin disorders

Allergic asthma and rhinitis

IBD

Osteoporosis

[234]
IL-32

Psoriasis

Atopic dermatitis

Grave’s disease

RA

Pulmonary arterial hypertension

COPD

[64, 235239]
IL-33

Psoriasis

Atopic dermatitis

Allergic contact dermatitis

Vitiligo

Chronic spontaneous urticaria

Allergic rhinitis

Asthma

RA

Ulcerative colitis

Itepekimab, experimental monoclonal antibody against IL-33 in COPD (NCT04751487) [60, 240247]
IL-34

SLE

Psoriasis

RA

Sjögren’s syndrome

IBD

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Lung cancer

PsA

[65, 248253]
IL-35 Systemic sclerosis

Sjögren's syndrome

MS

[254256]
IL-36

Psoriasis

SLE

AD

RA

PsA

UC

Sjögren’s syndrome

Imsidolimab, a monoclonal antibody against IL-36R; hidradenitis suppurativa (NCT04856930), acneiform eruptions (NCT04697069), ichthyosis (NCT04697056) [16, 17, 23, 257261]
IL-37

Psoriasis

SLE

Ankylosing spondylitis

Graves’ disease

Guillain-Barré syndrome

RA

[66, 262266]
IL-38 Psoriasis

RA

Idiopathic pulmonary lung fibrosis

[18, 65, 67, 267, 268]
IL-39

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders

ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

[269, 270]

AD, atopic dermatitis; BCC, basal cell carcinoma; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; CTCL, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma; CVD, cardiovascular disease; GVHD, graft-versus-host-disease; IBD, irritable bowel syndrome; MS, multiple sclerosis; NTK, natural killer T; PsA, psoriatic arthritis; SCC, squamous cell carcinoma; SLE, systemic lupus erythematosus; UC, ulcerative colitis

aHereditary systemic autoinflammatory diseases: familial Mediterranean fever (FMF), cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS), TNF receptor-associated periodic syndrome (TRAPS), hyper-IgD syndrome (HIDS), periodic fever, aphthous stomatitis, pharyngitis and adenitis (PFAPA), deficiency of interleukin-1 (IL-1) receptor antagonist (DIRA)

bSystemic inflammatory diseases: Systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, Adult-onset Still’s disease, Schnitzler syndrome, Behçet’s disease, PFAPA, synovitis, acne, pustulosis, hyperostosis, osteitis (SAPHO) syndrome, macrophage activation syndrome