Research of the correlation between peripheral blood Th17/Treg balance and cerebral infarction

Abstract

Objective To investigate the correlation between Th17/Treg balance in peripheral blood and cerebral infarction and its clinical value. Methods One hundred and twenty-two patients with cerebral infarction treated in affiliated Dongfeng Hospital of Hubei University of Medicine from February 2013 were randomly selected as the infarction group, and the other 122 healthy subjects for physical examination in Dongfeng Hospital at the same period were selected as the control group.The two groups were tested for peripheral blood Th17/Treg cells, and the content of interleukin-17 was detected and the correlation was analyzed. Results The percentage of Th17 cells and the levels of IL-17 in infarction group were (1.45±0.24)% and (58.20±22.19) ng/L, respectively, which were higher than those in the control group ((0.84±0.15)%, (21.00±11.93) ng/L)(t=10.648, 11.285, P<0.05). The proportion of Treg cells in the infarction group was (4.89±0.81)%, lower than that of the control group ((11.38±1.89)%) (t=11.298, P<0.05). Spearman rank correlation analysis showed that the proportion of Treg cells in patients with cerebral infarction were negatively correlated with Th17 cell ratio, IL-17 content, neurological deficit score and infarct volume (r=-0.671, -0.385, -0.414, -0.533, P<0.05). Multivariate logistic analysis showed that the percentage of Th17, IL-17 content and infarct volume were the main influencing factors of Treg cells (OR(95%CI)=2.216(1.120-4.283), 2.062(1.109-3.298), 1.022(1.008-4.192), P<0.05). Conclusion Peripheral blood Th17 cells and Treg cells have the proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory effects by secreting cytokines in patients with acute cerebral infarction.Th17/Treg balance in peripheral blood of patients with acute cerebral infarction is involved in the process of brain tissue damage after cerebral infarction. Key words: Cerebral infarction; Th17 cells; Treg cells; Interleukin-17