AUTHOR=Wang Qiang , Ma Linna , An Caiping , Wise Steven G. , Bao Shisan TITLE=The role of IL-38 in intestinal diseases - its potential as a therapeutic target JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology VOLUME=13 YEAR=2022 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2022.1051787 DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2022.1051787 ISSN=1664-3224 ABSTRACT=
IL-38, an anti-inflammatory cytokine, is a key regulator of homeostasis in host immunity. Intestinal immunity plays a critical role in defence against pathogenic invasion, as it is the largest surface organ and the most common entry point for micro-organisms. Dysregulated IL-38 activity is observed in several autoimmune diseases including systemic lupus erythematosus and atherosclerosis. The protective role of IL-38 is well illustrated in experimental colitis models, showing significantly worse colitis in IL-38 deficient mice, compared to wildtype mice. Moreover, exogenous IL-38 has been shown to ameliorate experimental colitis. Surprisingly, upregulated IL-38 is detected in inflamed tissue from inflammatory bowel disease patients, consistent with increased circulating cytokine levels, demonstrating the complex nature of host immunity