Upregulated IL-23 and IL-17 in Behçet patients with active uveitis.
OBJECTIVE
Behçet disease (BD) is a systemic inflammatory disease presumably caused by an autoimmune response. The interleukin (IL)-23/IL-17 pathway has been demonstrated to be involved in the development and maintenance of certain inflammatory diseases. This study was designed to investigate the role of IL-23 and IL-17 in BD.


METHODS
IL-23p19 mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was examined using RT-PCR. The levels of IL-23, IL-17, and IFN-gamma in sera or PBMCs were detected by ELISA. Flow cytometry was used to evaluate the frequencies of IL-17-producing and IFN-gamma-producing T cells and the expression of CD45RO.


RESULTS
Results showed that the expression of IL-23p19 mRNA, IL-23, IL-17, and IFN-gamma was markedly elevated in BD patients with active uveitis. The frequencies of IL-17-producing and IFN-gamma-producing T cells from PBMCs were significantly upregulated in BD patients with active uveitis. The increased IL-17 (3.10% +/- 0.53%) in BD patients with active uveitis was primarily produced by CD45RO(+) memory T cells. Recombinant (r) IL-23 could upregulate IL-17 production by polyclonally stimulated PBMCs, whereas interferon (IFN)-gamma downregulated IL-17 production.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings reveal that the levels of IL-23, IL-17, and IFN-gamma are elevated in BD patients with active uveitis, and they suggest that the IL-23/IL-17 pathway together with IFN-gamma is associated with the active intraocular inflammation in BD patients.
Chi
Wei
W
Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
Zhu
Xuefei
X
Yang
Peizeng
P
Liu
Xiaoli
X
Lin
Xiaomin
X
Zhou
Hongyan
H
Huang
Xiangkun
X
Kijlstra
Aize
A
D000328:Adult; D001528:Behcet Syndrome / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood*; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000097:blood*; D053759:Interleukin-23 / Q000097:blood*; D053760:Interleukin-23 Subunit p19 / Q000235:genetics; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D009000:Monocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000097:blood; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D015854:Up-Regulation; D014605:Uveitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology
D020381:Interleukin-17; D053759:Interleukin-23; D053760:Interleukin-23 Subunit p19; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens