Expression of Th17 cells and related cytokines in peripheral blood of patients with Graves′disease / 中国免疫学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To explore the proportions of Th17 cells in the peripheral blood and levels of IL-17,IL-23 in the serum of patients with Graves′disease ( GD ) and their clinical significance.Methods: We studied 29 patients with GD ( GD group ) , and reevaluated the GD group after therapy ( euthyroid GD group ).29 gender-and age-matched volunteers were selected as the normal control ( NC group).The proportions of Th17 cells were investigated by flow cytometry.The levels of IL-23,IL-17 in the serums were measured by ELISA.The levels of FT3,FT4,TSH were determined by ECLIA and the levels of TrAb were tested by RRA.Results:There were no significant difference among 3 study groups in sex and age match ( F=0.0075 , P>0.05;χ2=0.4213 , P>0.05 ).The proportions of Th17 cells and the levels of IL-17 , IL-23 were increased in the GD and euthyroid GD patients compared with the control group (respectively,P0.05).Correlation analysis revealed that the proportions of Th17 cells ,and the levels of IL-17,IL-23 were positively correlated with the levels of FT3,FT4,TrAb(r=0.588 2,0.337 2,0.371 0;0.549 6,0.287 5,0.342 7;0.361 0,0.420 8, 0.330 8;P<0.05 ,for all parameters ) ,and were negatively correlated with the levels of TSH ( r=-0.319 7 ,-0.472 8 ,-0.428 2;P<0.05,for all parameters).Conclusion:Th17 cells and their related cytokines IL-17,IL-23 are highly expressed in the serum of patients with GD.Th17 cells and their relative cytokines have certain relevance with 4 thyroid function parameters of the patients with GD , which can be used as biological markers for GD.