Serum Levels of IL-23 and IL-17 in Association with the Development of Ankylosing Spondylitis

Abstract

 Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic arthritic disorder marked by a complicated and poorly understood pathogenesis involving inflammatory cytokines. The study aims to investigate the levels of interleukins, specifically IL-17 and IL-23, in the sera of AS patients in relation to inflammatory markers and disease activity, in comparison with healthy controls (HCs). The work recruited eighty AS patients and 48 HCs. The levels of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), IL-17, and IL-23 in sera of both groups were measured. Serum levels of IL-23 and IL-17 were significantly elevated in individuals with AS compared to HCs (p < 0.01). Inactive AS patients exhibited lower levels of IL-23 than the active group (p < 0.01), while serum levels of IL-17 were not significantly different among the subgroups. IL-17 exhibited moderate correlations with CRP (r=0.5, p<0.001). IL-23 demonstrated a strong positive correlation with CRP (r = 0.6, p < 0.001), underscoring its role in systemic inflammation. Raised levels of IL-23 and IL-17 underscore their role in the pathogenesis of AS.