title: Decreased expression of IL-27 and its correlation with Th1 and Th17 cells in progressive multiple sclerosis.
abstract: Progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated demyelinating disease in which both imbalanced T helper (Th) subsets and aberrant cytokine profiles have been found. Interleukin-27 (IL-27), a cytokine with pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory effects, plays pleiotropic roles in immunomodulation. In the present study, plasma levels of IL-27, interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), IL-17 and frequencies of peripheral Th1, Th17 cells were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and flow cytometry in 45 progressive MS and 25 healthy controls. mRNA expression levels of IL-27, IFN-γ, T-bet, IL-17 and RAR-related orphan receptor gamma t (RORγt) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were also quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Plasma and mRNA levels of IL-27 in progressive MS patients were significantly lower than those in healthy controls, while plasma concentrations of IL-17, frequencies of circulating Th17, and mRNA expression levels of IL-17 as well as RORγt were all increased remarkably compared with healthy controls. No statistical significance was observed in IFN-γ and T-bet mRNA expression or plasma IFN-γ levels between progressive MS patients and healthy controls. Moreover, plasma levels of IL-27 were found to be negatively correlated to the percentages of circulating Th17 or plasma IL-17 concentrations in patients with progressive MS. Our data showed that progressive MS patients had decreased plasma and mRNA expression levels of IL-27, suggesting that it might be involved in the pathophysiological process of MS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, 324 Jingwu Road, Jinan, PR China; Department of Internal Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, 324 Jingwu Road, Jinan, PR China.
authors.forename: Shao-can
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, 324 Jingwu Road, Jinan, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiao-hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, 324 Jingwu Road, Jinan, PR China; Department of Ophthalmology, Affiliated Hospital of Taishan Medical University, 706 Taishanda Street, Taian, Shandong, PR China.
authors.forename: Qing-min
authors.initials: QM
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Second Hospital of Shandong University, 247 Beiyuanda Street, Jinan, PR China. Electronic address: sunqs@sdu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Qiang-san
authors.initials: QS
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Qilu University of Technology, 3501 Daxue Road, Jinan, PR China. Electronic address: 15866726379@163.com.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D064094:Interleukin-27 / Q000097:blood*; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020528:Multiple Sclerosis, Chronic Progressive / Q000097:blood*; D018417:Th1 Cells; D058504:Th17 Cells; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D064094:Interleukin-27
keywords: CD4(+) T cells; Cytokines; Interleukin-27; Progressive multiple sclerosis; T helper 1; T helper 17