{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,26]],"date-time":"2026-07-26T01:09:59Z","timestamp":1785028199701,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,12]],"date-time":"2026-03-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1773273600000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":70,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100004587","name":"Instituto de Salud Carlos III","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["PI23\/00046"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PI23\/00046"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100004587","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Lupus Sci Med"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,28]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disorder characterised by multisystem involvement, frequently including cardiovascular manifestations. Interleukin 2 (IL-2), a key cytokine in immune regulation, plays a pivotal role in maintaining tolerance by promoting regulatory T cell function. The relationship between serum IL-2 levels and specific SLE features remains incompletely defined. The aim of our study was to investigate the associations between serum IL-2 concentrations and disease activity, inflammatory markers, autoantibody profiles as well as cardiovascular and metabolic parameters in a well-characterised cohort of patients with SLE.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>In this cross-sectional study, 235 patients with SLE were recruited and characterised, including assessment of autoantibody profiles, disease activity indices (SLE Disease Activity Index-2000 (SLEDAI-2K)), Damage Index and remission status. Cardiovascular characteristics were evaluated, encompassing lipid profiles, insulin resistance indices and carotid ultrasound parameters such as plaque presence, intima-media thickness and arterial stiffness. Serum IL-2 concentrations were quantified using an ultrasensitive technique, the Single Molecule Array (Simoa). Multivariable linear regression was conducted to examine the associations between circulating IL-2 levels and clinical as well as cardiovascular manifestations of SLE.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>In multivariable analyses, serum IL-2 levels showed significant positive associations with inflammatory markers including C reactive protein and IL-6. Disease activity, assessed by SLEDAI-2K, was positively correlated with IL-2 levels. Positive and significant associations were also noted, after adjustment for covariates, between IL-2 and specific autoantibodies, including anti-DNA, anti-Sj\u00f6gren\u2019s syndrome antigen A (SSA), anti-Sj\u00f6gren\u2019s syndrome antigen B (SSB), anti-Smith (Sm) and antiribosome. Regarding cardiovascular disease factors, triglycerides were positively associated with IL-2 whereas high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol exhibited an inverse relationship.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Significant correlations exist between serum IL-2 levels and markers of inflammation, lipid profile, disease activity and specific autoantibody profiles in patients with SLE. These findings underscore the pivotal role of IL-2 in SLE immunopathogenesis, reflecting its intricate involvement in modulating both inflammatory responses and metabolic pathways.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1136\/lupus-2025-001870","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,12]],"date-time":"2026-03-12T14:55:22Z","timestamp":1773327322000},"page":"e001870","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Serum IL-2 levels are associated with disease activity and related to dyslipidaemia and the immunological profile in systemic lupus erythematosus"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7924-7406","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Miguel \u00c1ngel","family":"Gonzalez-Gay","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Medicine, University of Cantabria Faculty of Medicine, Santander, Spain"},{"name":"Rheumatology, Jimenez Diaz 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Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Luisa Mar\u00eda","family":"Villar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Immunology, Hospital Universitario Ramon y Cajal, Madrid, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"J Gonzalo","family":"Ocejo-Vinyals","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Immunology, Marquis of Valdecilla University Hospital, Santander, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6525-2944","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Raquel","family":"Largo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Joint and Bone Research Unit, Rheumatology Department, IIS-Fundacion Jimenez Diaz, Madrid, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0197-5267","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Iv\u00e1n","family":"Ferraz-Amaro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Rheumatology, 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