Abstract
Immune responses and inflammation are key elements in the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke (IS). Although the involvement of IL-17A in IS has been demonstrated using animal models, the involvement of IL-17A and IL-17-secreting T cell subsets in IS patients has not been verified, and whether the balance of Treg/IL-17-secreting T cells is altered in IS patients remains unknown. In the present study, we demonstrated that the proportion of peripheral Tregs and the levels of IL-10 and TGF-β were reduced in patients with IS compared with controls using flow cytometry (FCM), real-time PCR, and ELISA assays. However, the proportions of Th17 and γ δ T cells, the primary IL-17A-secreting cells, increased dramatically, and these effects were accompanied by increases in the levels of IL-17A, IL-23, IL-6, and IL-1β in IS patients. These studies suggest that the increase in IL-17A-producing cells and decrease in Treg cells might contribute to the pathogenesis of IS. Manipulating the balance between Tregs and IL-17A-producing cells might be helpful for the treatment of IS.
Highlights
Stroke is the leading cause of death in China and the most frequent cause of permanent disability in adults worldwide
Compared with the levels observed after 7 days, the IL-23, IL-6, and IL-1β plasma levels were significantly decreased after 28 days, but these levels were still higher than those detected in control subjects (Figures 4(a)–4(c))
We examined potential risk factors affecting IL-17 levels and the frequency of T cell subsets using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA)
Summary
Stroke is the leading cause of death in China and the most frequent cause of permanent disability in adults worldwide. Inflammatory mediators, which exaggerate brain edema or directly promote the death of brain cells in the penumbra, can result in the secondary progression of the infarct lesion, which is directly associated with the prognosis of ischemic stroke patients [3]. In the present study, we examined the proportions of IL-17A-producing cells and Tregs and determined the levels of signature transcription factors and cytokines in the peripheral blood of IS patients to characterize the involvement of these cell types in acute IS. These results might provide potential targets for IS therapy and identify potential prognostic indicators
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