title: Changes in Th17 and IL-17 levels during acute rejection after mouse skin transplantation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the fluctuation patterns of Th17 and IL-17 cytokines during acute skin graft rejection in mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Preparations for mouse skin transplantation model. At days 1, 3, 5, and 7 post-grafting, the number of Th17 cells in the spleens was quantified by flow cytometry (FCM); IL-17 mRNA expression in the spleens and the skin grafts were analyzed by semiquantitative RT-PCR. Serum IL-17 levels were determined by enzyme-labeled immunosorbent assay (ELISA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The number of Th17 cells in the spleens gradually increased and peaked at day 7 post-grafting. IL-17 mRNA expression in the skin was strongest at day 5 post-grafting. IL-17 levels in peripheral blood was highest at day 5 post-grafting.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acute rejection of allogeneic skin grafts in mice may correlate with the number of Th17 lymphocytes and the secretion of cytokine IL-17. Th17 cell count and IL-17 level may serve as important reference indices for early rejection reactions after skin grafting.
authors.affiliation: Organ Transplantation Center, the 309 Hospital of PLA, Beijing, China. shibingyi@medmail.com.cn.
authors.forename: H-L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: B-Y
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: G-S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Du
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D058504:Th17 Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D020381:Interleukin-17