Systemic sclerosis & Raynaud's
Serum IL-40 is elevated in systemic sclerosis and is linked to disease activity, gastrointestinal involvement, immune regulation and fibrotic processes
Authors' conclusion
IL-40 was upregulated in the skin and serum of SSc patients and was associated with disease activity, gastrointestinal involvement and fibrotic mediators.
Study context
- Population
- Systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients, healthy controls and individuals at risk of developing SSc (VEDOSS)
- Participants
- 90 / 75 / 24
- Exposure
- SSc vs healthy controls (HCs)
- SScn = 90
- HCsn = 75reference
- VEDOSSn = 24
- Outcome
- Serum IL-40 levels
Methodological detailscase-control comparison with healthy controls, longitudinal treatment cohorts (cyclophosphamide (CPA), rituximab (RTX)), in vitro PBMC experiments, immunohistochemistry of dermal biopsies
- Case-control comparison with healthy controls
- Longitudinal treatment cohorts (CPA, RTX)
- In vitro PBMC experiments
- Immunohistochemistry of dermal biopsies
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Serum IL-40
- Correlation of IL-40 with European Scleroderma Study Group (ESSG) activity index
- r = 0.372, p = 0.0005
- Association with gastrointestinal involvement
- p < 0.05
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
- Serum IL-40 in individuals at risk of SSc (VEDOSS) — Association with capillaroscopy findings · VEDOSS vs HCs · IL-40 elevated in at-risk individuals
- P < 0.05 · P = 0.0003
Skin IL-40 expression (immunohistochemistry)
- Elevated in skin of SSc vs HCs, particularly in fibroblasts and immune infiltrates
Correlation of IL-40 with fibrotic/inflammatory mediators
- Serum IL-8
- r = 0.270, p = 0.019
- TGF-β1
- r = 0.301, p = 0.024
Serum IL-40 upon CYC (n = 39, SSc-ILD) and RTX (n = 24) treatment
- No significant changes upon treatment
- Baseline and changes in IL-40 associated with changes in several clinical parameters
Serum IL-40 in individuals at risk of SSc (VEDOSS)
- No significant changes in progressors (n = 11) vs nonprogressors (n = 13)
In vitro effect of recombinant IL-40 on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 10 SSc patients
- Upregulation of IL-6
- P = 0.002
- Upregulation of MCP-1
- P = 0.002
- Upregulation of IL-10
- P = 0.002
Original publication
Serum IL-40 is elevated in systemic sclerosis and is linked to disease activity, gastrointestinal involvement, immune regulation and fibrotic processes. Arthritis Res Ther. Published 2 June 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →