Expression of Interleukin-12-Related Cytokine Transcripts in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Elevated Interleukin-23p19 and Interleukin-27p28 in Crohnʼs Disease But Not in Ulcerative Colitis

Abstract

IL-23p19, IL-27p28, and EBI3 transcripts are strongly up-regulated in CD. The stimulatory effects of these cytokines on naive T cells in addition to a strongly synergistic action with IL-12 to trigger interferon-gamma production may contribute to the perpetuation of the inflammatory process in patients with CD. Notably, increased expression of IL-23 and IL-27 transcripts in CD suggests a T helper 1-dominated immunologic function in this disease.