Evaluation of Interleukin-12 and Interleukin-18 Levels in Aborted Women with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Al-Najaf Province
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46966/msjar.v7i2.396Keywords:
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Toxoplasma gondii, Interleukin-12, Interleukin-18, Spontaneous Abortion, Al-Najaf Province.Abstract
Background: The immunological interplay between chronic autoimmunity and parasitic infections remains a significant driver of pregnancy failure. The Aim: The purpose of this study was to assess the blood levels of interleukin-12 and interleukin-18 in women from Al-Najaf Province, Iraq, who had undergone abortions and had been diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus and co-infected with Toxoplasma gondii. Methods: Between September 2025 and February 2026, a prospective cross-sectional study was carried out. 110 people were recruited for the study and divided into two groups: a healthy control group (n = 40) and a case group (n = 70) of aborted women with co-infections of SLE and T. gondii. The high-sensitivity Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay was used to evaluate serum levels of IL-12, IL-18, and anti-dsDNA antibodies. SPSS (v.26) was used to analyze the data. Results: Serum IL-18 levels were significantly higher in the co-infected patient group (418.40 ± 43.18 pg/ml) than in healthy controls (108.75 ± 12.55 pg/ml; P < 0.01). A change toward a pro-inflammatory Th1 profile was confirmed by a significant 67.6% increase in IL-12 levels (215.2 vs. 128.4 pg/ml). Anti-dsDNA titers and IL-18 showed a significant positive connection (r=0.82) according to statistical analysis. Receiver Operating Characteristic analysis identified IL-18 as a superior biomarker with a diagnostic sensitivity of 92% and an Area Under the Curve of 0.94. Conclusion: In SLE patients, the synergistic increase of IL-12 and IL-18 is a crucial mediator of spontaneous abortion. In areas where pregnancy loss is endemic, these cytokines are strong immunological indicators.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Mona Adel Ismail, Noor Hadi Hassan
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