ABSTRACT
IL-4 is a cytokine that induces differentiation of naive helper T cells into Th2 cells. Once activated by IL-4, Th2 cells subsequently produce additional IL-4. To examine the effect of IL-4 on IL-17 production and its effect in Collagen-Induced Arthritis [CIA] mice. Method: In this study, a chicken collagen-II-induced experimental arthritis [CIA] model was used in DBA/1 mice to investigate the relationship between IL-4 and IL-17 as well as other inflammatory factors. On the 38th day after the mice were induced with CIA, the expression of IL-17 and IL-4 as well as IFN-gamma and IL-13 in sera of the mice was measured by QRT-PCR and ELISA. The result of QRT-PCR analysis of IL-17 and IL-4 mRNA levels in the spleen showed that IL-17 is increased significantly at the onset of CIA in the spleen [p<0.01]. Meanwhile, IL-17 is generally reduced at the peak of CIA but IL-4 is increased significantly at this peak in the spleen [p<0.05] when the weight of the animal was taken into consideration. IL-4 can be involved in the production of IL-17 at especially the peak of CIA. These results imply that the inhibition of IL-17 may decrease the expression of IL-lp and IL-6 production which will result in the aggravation of arthritis