Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Editorial
. 2011;13(6):137.
doi: 10.1186/ar3518. Epub 2011 Dec 19.

IL-21 and Sjögren's syndrome

R Hal Scofield
Editorial

IL-21 and Sjögren's syndrome

R Hal Scofield. Arthritis Res Ther. 2011.

Abstract

Treatment of Sjögren's syndrome is almost entirely symptomatic. A lack of true understanding of the underlying immunological pathology of the disease prevents directed therapy. Interleukin-21 (IL-21) is elevated in the serum of patients with this disease and is expressed by the lymphocytes infiltrating the salivary glands. The known functions of IL-21 in facilitating differentiation, proliferation, and survival of both B and T cells mesh well with the findings in Sjögren's syndrome. Demonstration of IL-21 as a fundamental aspect of the pathophysiology of Sjögren's syndrome could lead to the development of anti-IL-21 therapy for this disease.

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment on

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Kang KY, Kim H-O, Kwok S-K, Ju JH, Park K-S, Sun D-I, Jhun YJ, Oh HJ, Park S-H, Kim H-Y. Impact of interleukin-21 in the pathogenesis of primary Sjögren's syndrome: increased serum levels of interleukin-21 and its expression in the labial salivary glands. Arthritis Res Ther. 2011;13:R179. doi: 10.1186/ar3504. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Feldmann M, Maini RN. Anti-TNF therapy, from rationale to standard of care: what lessons has it taught us? J Immunol. 2010;185:791–794. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1090051. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Pascual V, Allantaz F, Arce E, Punaro M, Banchereau J. Role of interleukin-1 (IL-1) in the pathogenesis of systemic onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis and clinical response to IL-1 blockade. J Exp Med. 2005;201:1479–1486. doi: 10.1084/jem.20050473. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Quartier P, Allantaz F, Cimaz R, Pillet P, Messiaen C, Bardin C, Bossuyt X, Boutten A, Bienvenu J, Duquesne A, Richer O, Chaussabel D, Mogenet A, Banchereau J, Treluyer JM, Landais P, Pascual V. A multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial with the interleukin-1 receptor antagonist anakinra in patients with systemic-onset juvenile idiopathic arthritis (ANAJIS trial) Ann Rheum Dis. 2011;70:747–754. doi: 10.1136/ard.2010.134254. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kastner DL, Aksentijevich I, Goldbach-Mansky R. Autoinflammatory disease reloaded: a clinical perspective. Cell. 2010;140:784–790. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2010.03.002. - DOI - PMC - PubMed