The mRNA and protein expression of IL-1b and IL-18 in the LN group was significantly higher than that in the SLE group without kidney damage, suggesting that high expression of these markers is closely related to the incidence of SLE and LN, because high activation of Caspase-1 eventually leads to high expression of IL-1b and IL-18. Here, CASP1 is linked to systemic lupus erythematosus.