Unopposed IL-18 signaling leads to severe TLR9-induced macrophage activation syndrome in mice

mice. Blocking IFN-γ had comparable effects to IL-18 inhibition on most MAS manifestations. Our data indicate that endogenous IL-18BP exerts a protective role in CpG-induced MAS and that IL-18, which acts upstream of IFN-γ, is involved in the severity of MAS.