Method of treating inflammatory disease by inhibition of IL-17 production
The invention concerns inhibition of the production of proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-17 (IL-17) by T cells, using an antagonist of interleukin-23 (IL-23). The invention further concerns the use of IL-23 antagonists in the treatment of inflammatory diseases characterized by the presence of elevated levels of IL-17. IL-23 antagonists include, without limitation, antibodies specifically binding to a subunit or IL-17 or an IL-17 receptor. The invention additionally concerns induction of IL-7 production by using an IL-23 agonist.
1. A method for treatment of an inflammatory disease in a human subject comprising measuring the expression level of interleukin-17 (IL-17) in said subject, and, if the IL-17 expression level is determined to be elevated, treating said subject with an effective amount of an anti-interleukin-23 (anti-IL-23) antibody or an anti-IL23 receptor antibody.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said antibody is an antigen-binding fragment.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein said antigen-binding fragment is selected from the group consisting of Fv, Fab, Fab′, and F(ab′) 2 .
4. The method of claim 1 wherein said antibody is a full-length antibody.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein said antibody is chimeric.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein said antibody is humanized.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein said antibody is human.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein said antibody inhibits the ability of IL-23 to induce IL-17 production in activated T cells.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein said inflammatory disease is selected from rheumatoid arthritis (RA), multiple sclerosis (MS), asthma, systemic lupus erythrematosus, Behcet's disease, and psoriasis.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein said inflammatory disease is RA, MS or asthma.