Description
IL-20 belongs to the IL-10 family. It is a cytokine structurally related to interleukin 10. Human IL-20 is synthesized as a 176 amino acid (aa) precursor with a 24 aa signal sequence and a 152 aa mature segment. IL-20 production has been found in skin, trachea, and other tissues. In particular, it is produced by activated keratinocytes and monocytes. It has been shown that IL-20 transduces its signal through signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) in keratinocytes. It may be involved in epidermal function and psoriasis. It also regulates the proliferation and differentiation of keratinocytes during inflammation, particularly inflammation associated with the skin. Also, it is reported to induce the proliferation of multipotential hematopoietic progenitor cells, direct the differentiation and expansion of keratinocytes, and promote the release of proinflammatory mediators in keratinocytes and other IL-20 receptor expressing cells.