The modulatory capacity of interleukin-21 in the pathogenesis of autoimmune disease.

Abstract

In this review, we discuss recent progress from studies on the biology of IL-21 and the role of this cytokine in the pathogenesis of autoimmunity. Recent studies have demonstrated that IL-21 plays an important and non-redundant role in a number of autoimmune animal models indicating that IL-21 could be a common modulator of the adaptive immune response towards self-tissue constituents in diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus, models of rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and type-1 diabetes. Also, the studies on the production of IL-21 in human autoimmune diseases and its behaviour on human cells in vitro are revealing the potential of IL-21 to exacerbate cellular processes that determine the course of autoimmune diseases.

• Authors: Alexis Vogelzang, Cecile King
• Journal: Frontiers in bioscience : a journal and virtual library (Front Biosci) Vol. 13 Pg. 5304-15 (May 01 2008) ISSN: 1093-9946 [Print] United States
• PMID: 18508588 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Review)

Chemical References

• Interleukins
• interleukin-21

Topics

• Animals
• Arthritis, Rheumatoid (drug therapy)
• Autoimmune Diseases (drug therapy)
• B-Lymphocytes (drug effects, immunology)
• CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes (drug effects, immunology)
• Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 (drug therapy, genetics)
• Disease Models, Animal
• Humans
• Interleukins (genetics, therapeutic use)
• Killer Cells, Natural (drug effects, immunology)
• Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic (drug therapy)
• Multiple Sclerosis (drug therapy)
• T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory (drug effects, immunology)