IL-1F7 was discovered in expressed sequence tag databases as a member of the increasing family of proteins sharing sequence homology to IL-1alpha/beta, IL-1Ra, and IL-18. In the present study using immunohistochemical staining, IL-1F7 was localized in human peripheral monocytic cells, suggesting its role in immune regulation. Recombinant human IL-1F7b was shown to bind to the IL-18Ralpha but wi...

It is recognized that IL-18 is related to development of asthma, but role of IL-18 in asthma remains controversial and confusing. This is largely due to lack of information on expression of IL-18 binding protein (BP) and IL-18 receptor (R) in asthma. In this study, we found that plasma levels of IL-18 and IL-18BP were elevated in asthma. The ratio between plasma concentrations of IL-18 and IL-1...

IL-18 is among the cytokines responsible for immune-mediated pathologies and is probably one of the factors that contribute to the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. Identification of the causes of uncontrolled IL-18 production and activity in autoimmunity would allow for novel therapeutic targets to effectively block autoimmune activation and inhibit concomitant tissue damage. IL-18 is produ...