The imbalance of Th17/CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T lymphocytes in children with primary glomerular diseases

Abstract

Objective To investigate the role of Th17/CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T lymphocytes(Treg) and its effector in children with primary glomerular diseases. Methods Peripheral blood: 30 patients with primary glomerular diseases from December 2013 to December 2014 in Department of Nephrology at Guiyang Children's Hospital were enrolled as experimental group, 20 male, 10 female; age: 1.6-14.0 years old [(8.2±3.8) years old]. Meanwhile, 10 healthy age-matched children after physical examination in Guiyang Children's Hospital were collected as health control group, 8 male and 2 female, with mean age (5.9±3.3) years old.Renal tissue: 25 patients with primary glomerular diseases diagnosed through renal biopsy in Guiyang Children's Hospital were collected as case group, 17 male, 8 female; age: 2-14 years old [(7.7±3.5) years old]. Among them, 10 patients with minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS), 9 patients with mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis (MsPGN), 6 patients with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). In addition, 5 age-matched children of hydronephrosis with normal kidney tissue (more than 5 cm from the lesion) in Department of Surgery in Guiyang Children's Hospital were recruited as control group.The circula-ting frequencies of Th17 cells and Treg cells in peripheral blood in experimental group and healthy control group were measured by means of flow cytometry.The mRNA expressions of interleukin-17(IL-17) in peripheral blood of the patients and the healthy children were analyzed using real-time polymerase chain reaction(PCR). The expressions of IL-17 in renal tissue of different pathological types were tested with immunohistochemical techniques. Results (1)Circulating frequency of Th17 cells in experimental group was higher than those in health control group (t=7.635, P<0.05). But the circulating frequency of Treg cells in experimental group were lower than those in the health control group (t=19.920, P<0.05). (2) The mRNA level of IL-17 in the experimental group were higher than that in the health control group (4.427±2.870 vs 1.095±0.212, t=3.636, P<0.05). (3)Pathological test of renal tissues in case group was positive, IL-17 expression in glomerular and renal tubular cell cytoplasm was found, but IL-17 had no expression in renal tissue in the control group.The expressions of IL-17 in control group, MCNS group, MsPGN group and FSGS group were 0.134±0.007, 0.210±0.016, 0.237±0.006 and 0.284±0.024, and there were significant differences among the groups(F=99.09, P<0.05). Conclusions The imbalance of Th17/Treg cell plays an important role in the pathogenesis of renal disease.To recover the balance of Th17/Treg cells may be a new target in the treatment of kidney disease. Key words: Primary glomerular diseases; Th17 cells; CD4+ CD25+regulatory T lymphocytes; Interleukin-17