title: [Changes in Th17 and CD4+CD25+ Treg cells and their significance among children with hand, foot and mouth disease].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the changes in peripheral blood Th17 and CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T (Treg) cells and their significance among children with hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-nine children with HFMD, including 55 cases of common HFMD and 34 cases of severe HFMD, were included in the study; and 30 healthy children were selected as the control group. The percentages of Th17 and CD4(+)CD25(+) Treg cells in CD4(+) T cells in peripheral blood were determined by flow cytometry. The expression levels of interleukin (IL)-10, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), and IL-17 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the control group, the cases of common HFMD and severe HFMD had significantly increased levels of Th17 cells and IL-17 (P<0.05) but significantly decreased levels of CD4(+)CD25(+) Treg cells, IL-10, and TGF-β (P<0.05). The severity of the HFMD was positively correlated with the levels of Th17 cells and IL-17 in peripheral blood but negatively correlated with the levels of CD4(+)CD25(+) Treg cells, IL-10, and TGF-β.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children with HFMD have increased response of Th17 cells but decreased response of CD4(+)CD25(+) Treg cells in peripheral blood. Th17/CD4(+)CD25(+) Treg cell imbalance may play an important role in the pathogenesis of HFMD.
authors.affiliation: Liver Disease Center, Hunan Children's Hospital, Changsha 410007, China. lesjie62@vip.sina.com.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Shuang-Jie
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Wen-Xian
authors.initials: WX
authors.lastname: Ouyang
authors.forename: Yan-Fang
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Fu-Rong
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Geng-Ji
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Lian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006232:Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000097:blood; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*; D058504:Th17 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D020381:Interleukin-17; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D016753:Interleukin-10