title: IL-17 in the early diagnosis of  acute renal allograft rejection in mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the expression of T helper (Th) 17 cells and the related interleukin 17 (IL-17) in acute renal allograft rejection in mice and its significance.
  
  
  METHODS
  We established a mouse renal allograft model, in which mice were randomly divided into a renal isograft group and an acute renal allograft rejection group. Three and 7 d after the transplantation, the serum interferon (IFN)-γ and IL-17 levels in the mice were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, the percentage of Th1 and Th17 cells in the total kidney-infiltrating lymphocytes was investigated by flow cytometry, and the transplanted kidney species were given routine pathological examination after fixation with 10% formalin.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the isograft group, the allograft mice showed a significantly higher content of IL-17 (P<0.05) but not IFN-γ in the serum 3 d after transplantation, and showed significantly higher serum IL-17 and IFN-γ contents 7 d after transplantation (P<0.05). Also, compared with the isograft group, the allograft mice exhibited significantly higher percentage of Th1 and Th17 cells on both day 3 and day 7 (P<0.05). In the allograft group, the contents of serum IFN-γ and IL-17 and the percentage of Th1 and Th17 cells were significantly higher on day 7 than on day 3 (P<0.05). Routine pathological examination indicated that, as time passed, the allograft mice showed gradually stronger rejection responses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Th17 cells might play an important role in the development of acute renal allograft rejection, and IL-17 can be used as an early indicator of acute rejection.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhongzhou
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Si
authors.forename: Haizhi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: Zhijun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Yining
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000097:blood; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000097:blood*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D058504:Th17 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
chemical_list: D020381:Interleukin-17; D007371:Interferon-gamma