Increased serum interleukin-41 correlates with disease severity in myasthenia gravis

Zhouyi Wang; Zhouao Zhang; Tiancheng Luo; Xue Du; Mingjin Yang; Qian Yao; Luyao Su; Yuting Li; Xiao Chen; Xiaoyu Huang; Yong Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.intimp.2024.112275

Increased serum interleukin-41 correlates with disease severity in myasthenia gravis

Int Immunopharmacol. 2024 May 16:134:112275. doi: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.112275. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Zhouyi Wang¹, Zhouao Zhang¹, Tiancheng Luo¹, Xue Du², Mingjin Yang², Qian Yao², Luyao Su², Yuting Li², Xiao Chen², Xiaoyu Huang³, Yong Zhang⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, No. 99 Huaihai West Road, Quanshan District, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China; Central Laboratory, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China.
² Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, No. 99 Huaihai West Road, Quanshan District, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China.
³ Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, No. 99 Huaihai West Road, Quanshan District, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China; Department of Neurology, Tianjin Neurological Institute, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China. Electronic address: 2275591501@qq.com.
⁴ Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, No. 99 Huaihai West Road, Quanshan District, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China. Electronic address: zy20037416@163.com.

PMID: 38759373
DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2024.112275

Abstract

Background: Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease mediated by pathogenic antibodies produced by abnormally activated B cells, resulting in neuromuscular junction transmission dysfunction. Interleukin-41 (IL-41) is a novel immunomodulatory cytokine that has been implicated in various metabolic, inflammatory, and autoimmune diseases. The role of IL-41 in MG is still unclear up to now, our study aimed to investigate the level of IL-41 in MG patients and its correlation with clinical features and inflammatory indicators.

Methods: Totally, 60 MG patients and 30 healthy controls (HC) were recruited. Baseline data and laboratory parameters were routinely recorded through electronic medical systems. IL-41 levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Proportions of T-cell and B-cell subsets and natural killer cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. The correlation between serum IL-41 and MG related parameters was investigated, and the clinical value of IL-41 in the diagnosis of MG was evaluated by receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC) analysis.

Results: Serum IL-41 levels in MG patients were higher than in HC, and were higher in Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) III + IV group than that in MGFA I + II group. Serum IL-41 was positively correlated with MG-specific activities of daily living scale (MG-ADL), MGFA classification, platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and proportion of CD19+ B cells, while it was negatively correlated with high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and circulatory plasma cells in MG patients. Serum IL-41 levels increased in patients who were treated with efgartigimod during the first cycle of therapy. However, compared to disease initiation, serum IL-41 levels decreased when clinical features steadily improved. ROC analysis showed that IL-41 had a diagnostic value for MG.

Conclusion: The present findings suggested that serum IL-41 was increased in MG patients and was positively associated with the severity of the disease. IL-41 may be essential to the immunopathological mechanism of MG and a potential biomarker for MG.

Keywords: Biomarker; Disease severity; Interleukin-41; Myasthenia gravis.