Elevated levels of Th17 cells and Th17-related cytokines are associated with disease activity in patients with inflammatory bowel disease

• Published in: Inflammation research Vol. 63; no. 11; pp. 943 - 950
• Main Authors: Jiang, Wenyu, Su, Jiewen, Zhang, Xiaofei, Cheng, Xiuqin, Zhou, Jun, Shi, Ruihua, Zhang, Hongjie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel Springer Basel 01.11.2014; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Allergology; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Colitis, Ulcerative - blood; Colitis, Ulcerative - immunology; Colon - immunology; Crohn Disease - blood; Crohn Disease - immunology; Dermatology; Female; Humans; Immunology; Inflammatory bowel disease; Interleukin-17 - blood; Interleukin-17 - immunology; Interleukin-22; Interleukins - blood; Interleukins - immunology; Intestinal Mucosa - immunology; Male; Middle Aged; Neurology; Original Research Paper; Pharmacology/Toxicology; Rheumatology; Th17 Cells - immunology; Young Adult; Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); Crohn’s disease (CD); IL-17; Th17 Cells; Ulcerative colitis (UC); IL-22; IL-21
• ISSN: 1023-3830; 1420-908X; 1420-908X
• DOI: 10.1007/s00011-014-0768-7

Objective Interleukin-17(IL-17)-producing T helper(Th)17 cells are considered as a new subset of cells critical to the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We aimed to investigate the distribution of Th17 cells, the expressions of Th17-related cytokines (IL-17, IL-21 and IL-22) and their association with disease activity in IBD patients. Methods We collected intestinal tissue biopsies from 40 patients with active ulcerative colitis (UC), 20 patients with active Crohn’s disease (CD) and 20 healthy controls. The distribution of Th17 cells and expressions of Th17-related cytokines in colonic tissues were evaluated by a standard immunohistochemical procedure. Serum IL-17, IL-21 and IL-22 levels were determined by ELISA. Pearson’s and Spearman’s correlation analyses were performed to analyze the correlation between the number of Th17 cells, the expressions of Th17-related cytokines and disease activity index, endoscopic and histological grading, and CRP and PLT levels, respectively. Results Compared with healthy controls, the number of Th17 cells and the expressions of IL-17, IL-21 and IL-22 were significantly increased in active IBD patients ( P  < 0.05). In addition, Pearson’s and Spearman’s correlation analyses showed that the number of Th17 cells and the expressions of Th17-related cytokines were correlated with disease activity index, endoscopic and histological grading, CRP and PLT levels ( P  < 0.05). Conclusions Th17 cells and Th17-related cytokines (IL-17, IL-21 and IL-22) were increased in the intestinal mucosa in active IBD patients and may play an important role in disease activity and mucosal damage.