Elevated serum interleukin-34 level in juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus and disease activity.

IL-34 could be a probable marker for J-SLE disease activity which is more aggressive than adult-SLE, and IL-34 blockage may suppress the expression of proinflammatory cytokines in patients' blood.Key Points•Juvenile SLE is more aggressive and of worse prognosis than adult-SLE.• Significantly elevated concentration of IL-34 in juvenile SLE patients when compared with controls.• Elevated concentrations of IL-34 in patients are correlated with SLEDAI, ESR, CRP, ds-DNA antibodies, hemoglobin, and complement levels.• IL-34 may play a role in SLE pathogenesis and disease activity.