ABSTRACT
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is one of the main types of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It is a chronic, nonspecific, and inflammatory disease of the colon that is prone to repeated attacks and requires long-term maintenance treatment. Its clinical features include: diarrhea, weight loss, abdominal pain, fever, blood in the stool and the risk of cancer. It is currently believed that the pathogenesis of UC is due to environmental factors acting on genetically susceptible individuals, causing abnormal activation of the immune system and destruction of the intestinal mucosal barrier, resulting in inflammatory changes of the colonic mucosa, in which T cells and cytokines secreted by them is the important topics in UC pathogenesis research. Th9 cells are a newly discovered subset of T cells. IL-9 secreted by it has been shown to be involved in a variety of autoimmune disease. Now we will review the differentiation of Th9 cells and the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of UC.
ABSTRACT
To detect the expression level of ICOS on Th9 cells in mice infected with Schistosoma japonicum, and investigate the relation between ICOS signaling and Th9 cell polarization.Twenty-five mice with S. japonicum infection were used as models. IL-9+cells in CD4+ T cells and ICOS+ cells in Th9 cells of the mice were detected by flow cytometry 0, 4, 7, 9 weeks and 12 weeks after the infection.Compared with that 0 week after the infection, the proportion of Th9 cells in CD4+ T cells of the mice significantly increased 4, 7, 9, 12 weeks after the infection (all P < 0.05), and the proportion of ICOS+ cells in Th9 cells also markedly improved (P < 0.05).In S. japonicum infection, the ICOS signaling may have a regulatory effect on Th9 cell polarization.
ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the expression and significance of Th9, Th17 and CD4+CD25+Foxp3+regulatory T (Treg) cells as well as the related cytokines (IL-9, IL-17, TGF-β) in peripheral blood of patients with adult primary immune thrombocytopenia ( ITP) . Methods Peripheral blood samples were collected from 47 patients with ITP and 39 age-and sex-matched healthy subjects. The percentages of Th9, Th17 and CD4+CD25+Foxp3+Treg cells in peripheral blood samples were detected with flow cytometry. The levels of IL-9, IL-17 and TGF-βin serum samples were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay ( ELISA) . Results Compared with healthy subjects, the percentages of Th9 and Thl7 cells and the concen-trations of IL-9 and IL-17 in patients with ITP were significantly increased [(1. 27±0. 31)% vs (0. 71± 0. 26)%, P<0. 05;(2. 01±0. 42)% vs (0. 97±0. 32)%, P<0. 05. (26. 52±7. 48) ng/L vs (16. 16± 5. 27) ng/L, P<0. 05;(10. 97±3. 94) ng/L vs (7. 14±2. 73) ng/L, P<0. 05]. The percentages of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Treg cells and the concentrations of TGF-β in patients with ITP were lower than those in healthy subjects [(4. 69±0. 85)% vs (7. 16±1. 92)%, P<0. 05. (3. 76±1. 28) μg/L vs (6. 41±1. 83)μg/L, P<0. 05]. Moreover, the blood platelet counts in patients with ITP were negatively correlated with the percentages of Th9 and Th17 cells and the concentrations of IL-9 and IL-17 (γs=-0. 349, P=0. 037;γs=-0. 392, P=0. 031;γs=-0. 436, P=0. 014;γs=-0. 401, P=0. 027), but were positively correlated with the percentages of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Treg cells and the concentrations of TGF-β (γs=0. 411, P=0. 024;γs=0. 407, P=0. 026). Conclusion The imbalanced distribution of Th9, Th17 and Treg cells and the abnormal expression of related cytokines (IL-9, IL-17 and TGF-β) in patients with ITP might be the possible immunological pathogenesis of ITP.