Immunoregulatory function of interleukin-6 on human Th17 cells / 中国实验血液学杂志

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to explore the regulatory function of interleukin-6(IL-6) on human Th17 cells. Human peripheral blood CD4(+) T cells were purified from healthy donors by anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody (mAb) conjugated microbeads. The experiment was divided into 2 groups. Test group in which CD4(+) T cells (1 × 10(6)/ml) were stimulated by human recombined IL-6 (20 ng/ml) for 4 days; control group in which CD4(+) T cells did not stimulated by IL-6. The concentrations of IL-17 protein in the supernatants were assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and quantity of Th17 cells were detected by flow cytometry. The results showed that as compared to control group, IL-17 protein level in the supernatants of CD4(+) T cells significantly increased in IL-6 stimulated group (337.05 ± 189.09 pg/ml; vs 15.07 ± 12.70 pg/ml) (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the percentage of Th17 cells in cultures of CD4(+) T cells stimulated by IL-6 was significantly higher than that in control group (4.05% ± 0.30% vs. 2.81% ± 0.44%)(p < 0.01). It is concluded that IL-6 promotes the expansion of Th17 cells in vitro.