title: Th1/Th2/Th17 cells imbalance in patients with asthma with and without psychological symptoms.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prevalence of psychological symptoms such as anxiety and depression among patients with asthma is high. Both asthma and psychological symptoms are characterized by immune inflammation in which CD4+ T cells play a role.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether T-helper (Th) 1, Th2, and Th17 cells imbalance exists in patients with asthma and with and in patients without psychological symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  The messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of T-box 21 (T-bet), GATA binding protein 3 (GATA-3), and RAR-related orphan receptor C (RORC) in peripheral CD4+ T cells of 20 patients with asthma and with psychological symptoms, 30 patients with asthma and without psychological symptoms, and 30 healthy subjects were detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction. A Luminex-based approach quantified the levels of interferon γ (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL) 4, and IL-17A cytokines in serum.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mRNA expressions of T-bet, GATA-3 and RORC were significantly different among the three groups. Significant elevations of the expressions of T-bet, GATA-3, and RORC mRNA were found in patients with asthma and with psychological symptoms than in healthy subjects, along with the higher levels of IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-17A. Increased expressions of T-bet mRNA were found in patients with asthma and with psychological symptoms but not in those without psychological symptoms. However, the ratio of T-bet to GATA-3 was in balance in patients with asthma and with psychological symptoms.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Analysis of our data revealed Th1 and Th2 cells activated in balance in the peripheral blood of patients with asthma and with psychological symptoms, along with activated Th17 cells. This finding provided an improved understanding of the immune-inflammation responses in patients with asthma and with psychological symptoms, and offered information for new targeted therapy to patients with asthma and with psychological symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Zongan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Renzhi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yulin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ji
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D015415:Biomarkers; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D058504:Th17 Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D016207:Cytokines