title: The Th17/Treg Immune Imbalance in Ulcerative Colitis Disease in a Chinese Han Population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the Th17/Treg immune balance in the ulcerative colitis (UC) patients in a Chinese Han population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety UC patients and 30 healthy subjects were enrolled. The serum IL-17 and TGF-β1 levels of these participants were measured with ELISA; the percentage of Th17 and Treg cells in peripheral blood was determined with flow cytometry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In UC patients, the levels of IL-17 and Th17 were significantly higher compared with healthy subjects; the percentage of Th17 and IL-17 level in moderate and severe subgroup was significantly higher than in mild subgroup; a positive correlation existed between these two indexes and clinical activity index and endoscopic evaluation. TGF-β1 level and Treg cells in UC patients were lower than healthy subjects. TGF-β1 level in moderate and severe subgroup was lower than in mild subgroup. There was a negative linear correlation between Treg cells and clinical activity index, endoscopic evaluation. A positive correlation was detected between Treg cells and TGF-β1 level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Th17/Treg immune imbalance might play a crucial role in the development of UC. To induce the production of Treg cells and TGF-β1, inhibit the level of Th17 and IL-17, and thus recover the Th17/Treg immune balance might imply new therapeutic targets in UC management.
authors.affiliation: The General Hospital of Shenyang Military Region, Shenyang, Liaoning 110840, China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.affiliation: The General Hospital of Shenyang Military Region, Shenyang, Liaoning 110840, China.
authors.forename: Yifan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Institute of Basic Research in Clinical Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China.
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Institute of Basic Research in Clinical Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China.
authors.forename: Xiaojuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Institute of Basic Research in Clinical Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China.
authors.forename: Aiping
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Beijing Wangjing Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100102, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Institute of Basic Research in Clinical Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China; University of Hawaii Cancer Center, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA.
authors.forename: Miao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D058504:Th17 Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D020381:Interleukin-17; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1