Effect of pregnancy on scleroderma progression.

Objective: To explore the trajectory of scleroderma disease activity in women who experienced a pregnancy after systemic sclerosis diagnosis compared to nulliparous women.

Methods: We analyzed data from the Canadian Scleroderma Research Group registry by identifying nulliparous women and women with ⩾1 pregnancy after systemic sclerosis diagnosis. Patient characteristics were compared between groups at registry entry.

Combined Stimulation with Interleukin-18 and Interleukin-12 Potently Induces Interleukin-8 Production by Natural Killer Cells.

The combination of interleukin (IL)-18 and IL-12 (IL-18+IL-12) potently stimulates natural killer (NK) cells, triggering an innate immune response to infections and cancers. Strategies exploiting the effects of IL-18+IL-12 have shown promise for cancer immunotherapy. However, studies have primarily characterized the NK cell response to IL-18+IL-12 in terms of interferon (IFN)-γ production, with little focus on other cytokines produced.