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Updated: Mar 24, 2026
Isolation and Th17 Differentiation of Naïve CD4 T Lymphocytes
Published on: September 26, 2013
The Th17/Treg Immune Imbalance in Ulcerative Colitis Disease in a Chinese Han Population
Yang Gong1, Yifan Lin1, Ning Zhao2
1The General Hospital of Shenyang Military Region, Shenyang, Liaoning 110840, China.
Objective:
To investigate the Th17/Treg immune balance in the ulcerative colitis (UC) patients in a Chinese Han population.
Methods:
Ninety UC patients and 30 healthy subjects were enrolled. The serum IL-17 and TGF-β1 levels of these participants were measured with ELISA; the percentage of Th17 and Treg cells in peripheral blood was determined with flow cytometry.
Results:
In UC patients, the levels of IL-17 and Th17 were significantly higher compared with healthy subjects; the percentage of Th17 and IL-17 level in moderate and severe subgroup was significantly higher than in mild subgroup; a positive correlation existed between these two indexes and clinical activity index and endoscopic evaluation. TGF-β1 level and Treg cells in UC patients were lower than healthy subjects. TGF-β1 level in moderate and severe subgroup was lower than in mild subgroup. There was a negative linear correlation between Treg cells and clinical activity index, endoscopic evaluation. A positive correlation was detected between Treg cells and TGF-β1 level.
Conclusions:
Th17/Treg immune imbalance might play a crucial role in the development of UC. To induce the production of Treg cells and TGF-β1, inhibit the level of Th17 and IL-17, and thus recover the Th17/Treg immune balance might imply new therapeutic targets in UC management.
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