[Role of Treg/Th17 balance in the pathogenesis of cytomegalovirus infection].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the role of Treg/Th17 balance in the immune-regulated mechanism of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection.


METHODS
According to the diagnostic criteria of the CMV infection,  the patients with CMV infection were divided into the activate infection group and the latent infection group,  and the normal children were recruited as control group. The percents of Treg and Th17 in peripheral blood were detected by flow cytometry to calculate Treg/Th17 ratio. ELISA and RT-PCR were performed to determine the levels of the related factors of Treg (IL-10,  Foxp3) and Th17 (TGF-β,  IL-17,  IL-6,  IL-23,  ROR-γt),  respectively.


RESULTS
Compared with the control group,  the proportion of Treg in peripheral blood was reduced,  Th17 increased,  so Treg/Th17 ratio went down after CMV infection (P<0.05). By comparison between two groups of CMV infection,  Treg/Th17 ratio and Treg related factors of the activate infection group decreased significantly (P<0.05),  but Th17 related factors were up-regulated significantly (P<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Treg/Th17 balance takes part in the immune-regulated mechanism of CMV infection,  and may be related to virus latent-active state.
Center for Hepatopathy, Hunan Provincial Children's Hospital, Changsha, China.
Yan-fang
YF
Tan
Si-jing
SJ
Yu
Jie
J
Wang
Shuang-jie
SJ
Li
D002675:Child, Preschool; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D058504:Th17 Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
D016207:Cytokines