Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the mucosal expression of interleukin (IL)-23p19 has a role in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis, and to determine its relation to disease severity. This study was performed on 50 patients with ulcerative colitis and 10 normal individuals as the controls. They were divided into Group I (27 patients with mild to moderate disease), Group II (23 patients with severe disease), and Group III (10 normal individuals). All patients and the controls were subjected to histopathological study, IL-23p19 immunohistochemical staining, IL-23R expression by flow cytometry, and serum IL-23 by enzyme-linked immunoassay. There was a significant increase in IL-23p19 gene expression and IL-23R level in patients with ulcerative colitis, compared to the controls. A significant positive correlation was detected between increased expression of the IL-23p19 gene, IL-23R, high serum IL-23, and the severity of the disease. Increased expression of the IL-23p19 gene has a role in the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis. Targeted therapy directed against IL-23p19 may be effective in its treatment. Increased expression of the IL-23p19 gene and IL-23R with high serum IL-23 is correlated positively with disease severity.