Aberrant Expression of Three New Members of IL-1 Family (IL-36α, IL-37 and IL-38) in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by demyelination and neuronal dysfunction. The study of the expression of cytokine genes seems to be an appropriate option for assessing their potential for the onset and development of the disease. Therefore, in the present study, changes in the expression of three interleukins (IL-36α, IL-37, and IL-38) in MS and their association with clinical factors were investigated.

In this study, blood samples of 45 MS patients and 45 healthy controls were enrolled. Relative expression of genes was evaluated using the real-time PCR. Finally, the pattern of expression was analyzed by using statistical analyses. In the next step, the relationship between clinical characteristics and IL-36α, IL-37, and IL-38 expression was investigated.

The results showed that IL-36α and IL-37 increased in MS patient (1.8 and 3.5 fold respectively, P<0.01).  Moreover, a significant reduction in IL-38 was observed in MS samples (0.21 fold, P<0.01). The dysregulation in ILs expression was associated with clinical features.

As a result, the two studied IL-1 family members (IL-36α and IL-37) may contribute to the progression of MS, so that increase in their expression is associated with EDSS disability and duration of disease. Another member of IL-1 family, IL-38 has a protective effect on MS diseases, and its downregulation is related to severe disability. Further investigation can help to determine accurate functional role of 3 interleukins in MS development.