Serum Levels of Interleukin-36 Alpha and Interleukin-36 Receptor Antagonist in Behcet's Syndrome

Abstract

Background Behcet's syndrome (BS) is a systemic vasculitic disorder. This study aimed to investigate the levels of serum IL-36α and IL-36Ra in patients with BS. Material and Methods A total of 80 subjects (60 BS patients and 20 healthy controls [HC]) were included. Results The median IL-36α level was 0.11 ng/ml in the BS group and 0.09 ng/ml in the HC group (p=0.058). The mean IL-36Ra level was 13.62 pg/ml in the BS group and 13.26 pg/ml in the HC group (p=0.348). Serum IL-36Ra levels of the active group were significantly higher (p=0.037). Patients with oral ulcers and central nervous system involvement had higher serum IL36Ra levels. In the BS group, a positive correlation was found between serum IL-36Ra and CRP. In a multivariate analysis, the IL-36Ra level (OR=1.067; 95% CI=1.001-1.137; p=0.045) was independently associated with disease activity. Conclusion According to these findings, it is not clear whether such a slight difference is clinically significant, but they suggest that the IL-36 cytokine family may play a role in the course of the disease.