Increased circulating Th17 cell populations and elevated CSF osteopontin and IL-17 concentrations in patients with...

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an acute post-infectious immune-mediated demyelinating disease of the peripheral nervous system. Th17 cells and osteopontin (OPN) have been implicated in the development of autoimmune diseases, but little is known about their relationship and roles in the pathogenesis of GBS.

In this study, we used flow cytometry to evaluate peripheral numbers of Th17, real-time polymerase chain reaction to assay mRNA expression of RORγt, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to determined OPN and IL-17 concentrations.

The frequency of Th17 cells was significantly higher in the peripheral blood of acute-stage GBS patients comparison with other non-inflammatory neurological diseases (OND). In line with these observations, the levels of mRNA expression of RORγt in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and the concentrations IL-17 in both plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were significantly higher in the acute-stage GBS than stable-stage GBS. OPN concentrations were significantly increased in the CSF of acute-stage GBS patients compared to OND. Circulating Th17 cell populations and CSF OPN levels, respectively, are correlated with GBS disability scale scores (GDSs), and there was a positive correlation between them.

In summary, our preliminary findings suggest that both Th17 and OPN may be associated with the pathogenesis of GBS.