Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33590875›Full record

ArticleRheumatology (Oxford, England)2021

IL11 is elevated in systemic sclerosis and IL11-dependent ERK signalling underlies TGFβ-mediated activation of dermal fibroblasts.

Eleonora Adami, Sivakumar Viswanathan, Anissa A Widjaja, Benjamin Ng, Sonia Chothani, Nevin Zhihao, Jessie Tan, Pei Min Lio, Benjamin L George, Umut Altunoglu and 8 more

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Rheumatology (Oxford, England), 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 41 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
41citing papers in PubMed
7.6field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

41 citing papers in PubMed, 63 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
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  8. The role of IL-11 in chronic diseases.Frontiers in immunology · 2026
    Review
  9. Article
  10. Systemic sclerosis, main culprits and involved signaling pathways.Inflammation research : official journal of the European Histamine Research Society ... [et al.] · 2025
    Review
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  17. An Update on Molecular Mechanisms of Scarring-A Narrative Review.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024
    Review
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  20. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors at 7 institutions in 3 countries.

Eleonora AdamiCardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders Program, Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School.ORCID 0000-0002-1813-6681
Sivakumar ViswanathanCardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders Program, Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School.ORCID 0000-0002-9263-1656
Anissa A WidjajaCardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders Program, Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School.
Benjamin NgNational Heart Research Institute Singapore, National Heart Centre Singapore, Singapore.
Sonia ChothaniCardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders Program, Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School.
Nevin ZhihaoNational Heart Research Institute Singapore, National Heart Centre Singapore, Singapore.
Jessie TanNational Heart Research Institute Singapore, National Heart Centre Singapore, Singapore.
Pei Min LioNational Heart Research Institute Singapore, National Heart Centre Singapore, Singapore.
Benjamin L GeorgeCardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders Program, Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School.
Umut AltunogluDepartment of Medical Genetics, Koç University, School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
Kakaly GhoshGenome Institute of Singapore, Human Genetics and Therapeutics Laboratory.
Bhairav S PalejaInstitute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, A*STAR.
Sebastian SchaferCardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders Program, Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School.
Bruno ReversadeDepartment of Medical Genetics, Koç University, School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
Salvatore AlbaniTranslational Immunology Institute (TII), SingHealth-DukeNUS Academic Medical Centre.
Andrea Low Hsiu LingDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, Singapore General Hospital.
Steven O'ReillyDepartment of Biosciences, Durham University, Durham.ORCID 0000-0001-7483-740X
Stuart A CookCardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders Program, Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School.ORCID 0000-0001-6628-194X
National University of Singapore · SGNational Heart Centre Singapore · SGAgency for Science, Technology and Research · SGDurham University · GBGenome Institute of Singapore · SGKoç University · TRSingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre · SG

Funding

Duke-NUS, BMRC SPF2014/005Goh Foundation, Tanoto Foundation NMRC CIRG14nov021Medical Research Council MC_U120085815National Medical Research CouncilNHCS MOH-CIRG18nov-0002NMRC NMRC/STaR/020/2013NMRC Centre GrantSingapore STaR NMRC/STaR/0029/2017
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesInterleukin 11 (IL11) is highly upregulated in skin and lung fibroblasts from patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). Here we tested whether IL11 is mechanistically linked with activation of human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) from patients with SSc or controls.

methodsWe measured serum IL11 levels in volunteers and patients with early diffuse SSc and manipulated IL11 signalling in HDFs using gain- and loss-of-function approaches that we combined with molecular and cellular phenotyping.

resultsIn patients with SSc, serum IL11 levels are elevated as compared with healthy controls. All transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) isoforms induced IL11 secretion from HDFs, which highly express IL11 receptor α-subunit and the glycoprotein 130 (gp130) co-receptor, suggestive of an autocrine loop of IL11 activity in HDFs. IL11 stimulated ERK activation in HDFs and resulted in HDF-to-myofibroblast transformation and extracellular matrix secretion. The pro-fibrotic action of IL11 in HDFs appeared unrelated to STAT3 activity, independent of TGFβ upregulation and was not associated with phosphorylation of SMAD2/3. Inhibition of IL11 signalling using either a neutralizing antibody against IL11 or siRNA against IL11RA reduced TGFβ-induced HDF proliferation, matrix production and cell migration, which was phenocopied by pharmacological inhibition of ERK.

conclusionsThese data reveal that autocrine IL11-dependent ERK activity alone or downstream of TGFβ stimulation promotes fibrosis phenotypes in dermal fibroblasts and suggest IL11 as a potential therapeutic target in SSc.

Indexed as

Gene Expression RegulationBiomarkersCells, CulturedEnzyme-Linked Immunosorbent AssayHumansInterleukin-11Interleukin-11 Receptor alpha SubunitMAP Kinase Signaling SystemRNAScleroderma, SystemicSignal TransductionSkinBiomarkersIL11RA protein, humanInterleukin-11Interleukin-11 Receptor alpha SubunitRNAantibody therapyfibrosisIL11IL11RAneutralizing antibodysystemic sclerosisTGFβ2

Identifiers

PMID33590875
PMCPMC8645270
OpenAlexW3130594016

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.