Neutralising autoantibodies targeting interleukin-10 (IL-10) are present in 2.5% of pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
These autoantibodies are IgG class and potentiate pro-inflammatory cytokine responses by inhibiting IL-10’s immunoregulatory function.
Carriage of the HLA-DRB1*01:03 allele strongly associates with anti-IL-10 positivity (80% vs 1.5% in negatives), suggesting a genetic predisposition.
Anti-IL-10-positive patients display more severe, difficult-to-treat disease, higher rates of acute severe ulcerative colitis, and increased colectomy frequency.
