The role of S100 proteins in the pathogenesis and monitoring of autoinflammatory diseases

S100A8/A9 and S100A12 are released from activated monocytes and granulocytes and act as proinflammatory endogenous toll-like receptor (TLR)4-ligands. S100 serum concentrations correlate with disease activity, both during local and systemic inflammatory processes. In some autoinflammatory diseases such as familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) or systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SJIA), dysregulation of S100 release may be involved in the pathogenesis. Moreover, S100 serum levels are a valuable supportive tool in the diagnosis of SJIA in fever of unknown origin. Furthermore, S100 levels can be used to monitor disease activity to subclinical level, as their serum concentrations decrease with successful treatment.