No inhibition of IL-27 signaling by soluble gp130

Soluble gp130 is the natural inhibitor of trans-signaling mediated by the soluble IL-6/IL-6R complex. In mouse models, recombinant sgp130 has been successfully applied for the treatment of diseases that are triggered and maintained by soluble IL-6R like Crohn's disease, peritonitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and colon cancer. The novel heterodimeric cytokine IL-27 (p28/EBV-induced gene 3) has been shown to act via a heterodimeric receptor complex of gp130 and the WSX-1 receptor, and to co-regulate the Th(1) immune response after infection. Therefore, we have tested the potential of the recombinant sgp130-Fc protein to also inhibit signaling-mediated IL-27. Here we show that sgp130-Fc does not interfere with IL-27 signaling. We therefore conclude that IL-27 does not bind with high affinity to gp130.