Differences in the quantity of Th1/Th17 cells among patients with psoriasis of different syndromes

Abstract

Objective To estimate the relationship between the development of psoriasis of different syndromes and type 1 helper T (Th1)/Th17 cell axis shift.Methods Venous blood samples were collected from 15 patients with blood-heat type psoriasis vulgaris (BHPV),15 patients with blood-stasis type psoriasis vulgaris (BSPV),and 16 healthy human controls.Flow cytometry was performed to detect the expression of a Th1 type cytokine interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and a Th17 type cytokine intedeukin 17A (IL-17A) in CD4+ T cells,and double-antibody sandwich enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to determine the serum level of IFN-γ and IL-17A.Statistical analysis was done by analysis of variance,least significant difference (LSD) procedure,and Spearman's correlation analysis.Results The patients with BHPV showed a statistical increase in the percentage of CD4+IFN-γ + cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and in the serum level of IFN-γcompared with the patients with BSPV and the healthy controls (25.94％ ± 11.44％ vs.18.43％ ± 7.51％ and 13.57％ ± 7.70％,(86.48 ± 46.44) ng/L vs.(59.80 ± 12.73) ng/L and (46.00 ± 0.67) ng/L,all P ＜ 0.05),while no significant difference was observed between the patients with BSPV and the healthy controls in either of the two parameters (all P ＞ 0.05).The percentage of CD4+IFN-γ+ cells in PBMCs and psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) were positively correlated in patients with BHPV (r =0.723,P ＜ 0.05),but uncorrelated in those with BSPV (r =0.493,P ＞ 0.05).No significant differences were observed between the patients with BSPV,BHPV and the healthy controls in the percentage of CD4+IL-17A+ cells or in the serum level of IL-17A (all P ＞ 0.05).The percentage of CD4+IL-17A+ cells in PBMCs and PASI were uncorrelated in patients with BHPV (r =0.186,P ＞0.05),but positively correlated in those with BSPV (r =0.669,P ＜ 0.05).Serum IFN-γlevel and PASI were positively correlated in patients with BHPV (r =0.864,P ＜ 0.05),but negatively correlated in those with BSPV (r =-0.651,P ＜ 0.05).No statistical correlation was observed between the serum IL-17A level and PASI in either the patients with BSPV or those with BHPV (both P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions Th1 cells may exert a predominant role in the pathogenesis of BHPV,and may decrease in number when BHPV improves or shifts to BSPV,while no statistical difference is observed in the quantity of Th17 cells among patients with psoriasis of different syndromes. Key words: Psoriasis; Syndromes; Th1 cells; Th17 cells