title: Increased interleukin-17 in peripheral blood and cerebrospinal fluid of neurosyphilis patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Treponema pallidum infection evokes vigorous immune responses, resulting in tissue damage. Several studies have demonstrated that IL-17 may be involved in the pathogenesis of syphilis. However, the role of Th17 response in neurosyphilis remains unclear.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this study, Th17 in peripheral blood from 103 neurosyphilis patients, 69 syphilis patients without neurological involvement, and 70 healthy donors were analyzed by flow cytometry. The level of IL-17 in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was quantified by ELISA. One-year follow up for 44 neurosyphilis patients was further monitored to investigate the role of Th17/IL-17 in neurosyphilis. We found that the frequency of Th17 cells was significantly increased in peripheral blood of patients with neurosyphilis, in comparison to healthy donors. IL-17 in CSF were detected from 55.3% neurosyphilis patients (in average of 2.29 (0-59.83) pg/ml), especially in those with symptomatic neurosyphilis (61.9%). CSF IL-17 was predominantly derived from Th17 cells in neurosyphilis patients. Levels of IL-17 in CSF of neurosyphilis patients were positively associated with total CSF protein levels and CSF VDRL (Venereal Disease Research Laboratory) titers. Notably, neurosyphilis patients with undetectable CSF IL-17 were more likely to confer to CSF VDRL negative after treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings indicate that Th17 response may be involved in central nervous system damage and associated with clinical symptoms in neurosyphilis patients. Th17/IL-17 may be used as an alternative surrogate marker for assessing the efficacy of clinical treatment of neurosyphilis patients.
authors: STD Institute, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors: Cuini
authors: C
authors: Wang
authors: Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, Clinical School of Anhui Medical University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors: Lin
authors: L
authors: Zhu
authors: Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, Clinical School of Anhui Medical University, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors: Zixiao
authors: Z
authors: Gao
authors: STD Institute, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors: Zhifang
authors: Z
authors: Guan
authors: STD Institute, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors: Haikong
authors: H
authors: Lu
authors: STD Institute, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors: Mei
authors: M
authors: Shi
authors: STD Institute, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors: Ying
authors: Y
authors: Gao
authors: STD Institute, Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors: Huanbin
authors: H
authors: Xu
authors: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America.
authors: X Frank
authors: XF
authors: Yang
authors: Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital, Clinical School of Anhui Medical University, Shanghai, People′s Republic of China.
authors: Pingyu
authors: P
authors: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000097:blood* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009494:Neurosyphilis / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D058504:Th17 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D014210:Treponema pallidum / Q000276:immunology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D020381:Interleukin-17