IL-18

Background

Interleukin 18 (IL-18) is a cytokine that has been found to be involved in many different biological processes. So what is a cytokine?  A cytokine is protein that is secreted by certain cells and interacts/communicates between cells. And which cells produce IL-18?  IL-18 is produced by dendritic cells, monocytes, macrophages, neutrophils and epithelial cells.  IL-18 is unique in that it has two forms, mature IL-18 and pro IL-18.  IL-18 is first present as proform 24kd precursor and lacks the signal sequence required for secretion¹.  However, it is the active form of IL-18 that is present in many different tissue types².  IL-18 is cleaved so it can be in its active form.  ICE (IL-1β Converting Enzyme) or Caspase 1 cleaves Pro-IL-18 after Asp35, leading to the active form of IL-18, measuring at 18 kDa².  This activation has shown to be an important aspect of immune defense. 

IL18 biological significance

IL-18 has been shown to have a rapid secretion/activation response.  Induction is observed as early as 1 hour after stimulation with anti-CD40.  IL-18 has a role in various diseases.  High levels of IL-18 are detected in the blood of patient with allergic diseases (bronchial asthma, atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, etc.) and those with autoimmune diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Adult Still’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, etc.). IL-18 is also found in the urine of patients with acute renal disorder³ and appears to mediate the progression of type 2 diabetes⁴.  The regulation and release of IL-18 is still under investigation.  Results can lead to therapeutic remedies since it appears that IL-18 has significant involvement in early immune response. MBL International is the first supplier of antibodies and ELISA kits for IL-18, these reagents have become the gold standard in the IL-18 research area. See how MBL International can help your research in IL-18. Bulk pricing available.

IL-18 ELISA Kits

Product Code	PRODUCT NAME
7620	Human IL-18 ELISA Kit
7625	Mouse IL-18 ELISA Kit

Popular IL-18 Antibody Clones

CLONE	PRODUCT CODE
125-2H	D044-3, D044-3M2
25-2G	D043-3
39-3F	D046-3
74	D047-3
159-12B	D045-3, D045-6
93-10C	D048-3, D048-6, D048-3M2
91D8	M158-3
21A12	M157-3

IL-18 Recombinant Proteins

Product Code	Product Name
B001-5	Recombinant human IL-18
B002-5	Recombinant mouse IL-18
B003-2	Recombinant Human IL-18 (-BSA)
B003-5	Recombinant Human Il-18 (-BSA)
B004-2	Recombinant Mouse IL-18 (-BSA)
B004-5	Recombinant Mouse IL-18 (-BSA)

Data using MBL International Products

References

1. Okamura, et al. (1995). Cloning of a new cytokine that induces IFN-gamma production by T cells. Nature, 378. 88-91.
2. Gracie, J., Robertson, S., & McInnes, I. (2003). Interleukin-18. Journal of Leukocyte Biology, 73(2), 213-224. 
3. Washburn, K., Zappitelli, M., Arikan, A., Loftis, L., Yalavarthy, R., Parikh, C., … Goldstein, S. (2007). Urinary interleukin-18 is an acute kidney injury biomarker in critically ill children. Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, 23(2), 566-572
4. Trøseid, M., Seljeflot, I., & Arnesen, H. (2010). The role of interleukin-18 in the metabolic syndrome. Cardiovascular Diabetology, 9(11).
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