Low-dose Recombinant Human IL-2 for the Treatment of Relapsing Polychondritis
Status:
Unknown status
Trial end date:
2021-06-30
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a rare, systemic autoimmune disorder characterized by
episodic inflammation of cartilaginous structures. Pro-inflammatory chemokines involved in
the recruitment of monocytes and modulation of macrophage function, such as monocyte
chemoattractant protein-1, macrophage inflammatory protein 1β, and interleukin (IL)-8, are
significantly elevated in active RP compared with controls.The activation of monocytes and
macrophages may play an important role in the pathophysiology of RP. The levels of serum Th1
cytokines (interferon, IL-2 (IL-2) and IL-12 (IL-12) were significantly correlated with
disease status，which suggested that RP may be a Th1-mediated disease process. IL-2 is a kind
of lymphocyte growth factor. At lower doses, regulatory T cells exhibit dominant
amplification because of their more sensitivity to IL-2. Regulatory T cells can inhibit the
growth of effector T cells and then play an immunosuppressive role. The investigators
hypothesized that low-dose IL-2 could be a novel therapy in active RP patients. This clinical
study will explore the efficacy and immunological evaluation of low dose IL-2 in the
treatment of RP.