Summary: The changes in the levels of serum interleukin-13 (IL-13) and nerve growth factor (NGF) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and their clinical significance were investigated. Sandwich ELISA was used to determine the levels of serum IL-13 and NGF in 35 SLE patients and 15 normal controls. The results showed that the levels of serum IL-13 (92.69±9.87 pg/ml) and NGF (339.69±25.60 pg/ml) in active SLE patients were significantly higher than those in inactive SLE patients (IL-13, 54.22±9.31 pg/ml; NGF, 300.89±33.51 pg/ml)(P