Circulating Th17 cells are not elevated in patients with chronic heart failure.
BACKGROUND
Increasing evidences have been obtained that immune activation and inflammation play critical roles in the pathogenesis of chronic heart failure (CHF). T helper (Th) 17 cells are a newly found pro-inflammatory T cell subtype. We therefore assessed the hypothesis that circulating Th17 cells increased in patients with CHF. Hypothesis. Th17 cells and its cytokine might be elevated in patients with CHF.


METHODS
A total of 92 patients with CHF and 59 healthy donors were enrolled in the study. The frequencies of circulating Th17 cells were determined by flow cytometry. The interleukin (IL)-17 protein levels in the serum and supernatant of phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated periphery blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were detected using ELISA and the mRNA expression of retinoic acid-related orphan receptor (ROR)γt, which is the key transcription factor of Th17 cells was measured by RT-PCR.


RESULTS
There were no significant differences in the frequency of circulating Th17 cells, serum level of IL-17, and expression of RORγt in PBMCs between CHF patients and healthy controls. IL-17 protein level in the supernatants of PHA-stimulated PBMCs was also comparable between CHF patients and health donors.


CONCLUSIONS
Circulating Th17 cells are not elevated in patients with CHF.
The Laboratory of Cardiovascular Immunology, Institute of Cardiology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
Zheng-Feng
ZF
Zhu
Jing-Jing
JJ
Li
Juan
J
Liu
Ting-Ting
TT
Tang
Ying-Jun
YJ
Ding
Yu-Hua
YH
Liao
Xiang
X
Cheng
Xiang
X
Wang
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000097:blood*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057132:Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D058504:Th17 Cells
C508717:IL17A protein, human; D020381:Interleukin-17; D057132:Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 1, Group F, Member 3; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins