Inturlekin 33 in Ankylosing Spondylitis Patients and Its Relationship to Subclinical Atherosclerosis

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS), a type of SpA, is an autoimmune disease that mainly involves, sacroiliac joints (SIJs) and their adjacent soft tissues, such as tendons and ligaments. The main clinical manifestations include back pain and progressive spinal rigidity as well as inflammation of the hips, shoulders, peripheral joints and fingers/toes. In addition, there are extra-articular manifestations.

Cardiovascular disease has become the first cause of death for patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

Patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) have an increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality . Accelerated atherosclerosis caused by a systemic inflammatory response has been reported to be an important risk factor for increased cardiovascular risk for autoimmune diseases.

Interleukin (IL)-33 is a cytokine belonging to the IL-1 family and was recently identified as a ligand for ST2, .the serum levels of IL-33/sST2 were remarkably higher in the patients with AS than the healthy groups .

Pervious studies confirm the importance of IL-33/ST2 axis in the process of atherosclerosis, and indicate its ambiguous function in immune response, whether as proinflammatory cytokine in advanced atherosclerotic lesions, or as profibrotic, in early lesions.