INTENDED USE AND DESCRIPTION: For use a quantitative control for the determination of mouse IL-18 concentrations in biological fluids. Controls are supplied lyophilized. Please refer to the lot specific certificate of analysis and Simple Plex Lyophilized Quality Control product insert for additional information.
Interleukin 18 (IL-18), also known as interferon-gamma-inducing factor (IGIF) and IL-1γ, is a cytokine which shares biologic activities with IL-12 and structural similarities with the IL-1 family of proteins. IL-18 was originally cloned from liver cells and has since been shown to be expressed by monocyte/macrophages, osteoblasts and keratinocytes. Caspase-1 (IL-1 beta-converting enzyme) has been implicated in the physiological processing of pro-IL-18 to IL-18. Similarly to IL-12, human IL-18 has been shown to enhance NK cell activity in PBMC cultures. Human IL-18 has also been found to induce the production IFN-γ and GM-CSF while inhibiting the production of IL-10 by PBMC. On enriched human T cells, human IL-18 can enhance Th1 cytokine production and stimulate cell proliferation via an IL-2-dependent pathway. In the mouse system, IL-18 has been shown to be a costimulatory factor for the activation of Th1, but not Th2, cells. IL-18 was found to selectively enhance the FasL-mediated cytotoxicity of Th1, but not Th0 or Th2, cells. IL-18 has also been shown to induce activated B cells to produce IFN-γ that inhibits IgE production.
