title: Increased Interleukin-17F is Associated with Elevated Autoantibody Levels and More Clinically Relevant Than Interleukin-17A in Primary Sjögren's Syndrome.
abstract: Th17 related immune response is pathogenic in primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS). However, the role of IL-17F, one potent inflammatory member of IL-17 family cytokines in pSS, has not been specifically defined. We recruited one hundred and nine pSS patients and forty-two healthy controls and their serum levels of IL-17A and IL-17F were determined by multiplex cytokine assays. White blood cell, red blood cell, neutrophil, lymphocyte, IgM, IgG, C3, C4, RF, ANA, anti-SSA antibody, and anti-SSB antibody were measured by standard laboratory techniques. EULAR Sjögren's syndrome disease activity index (ESSDAI) score was also evaluated accordingly. We found that IL-17F was significantly increased in pSS patients. Elevated levels of IL-17F were associated with increased IgG and IgM, higher titers of ANA and anti-SSA antibodies, and reduction of C3 and C4. Patients with higher disease activity also showed higher serum IL-17F levels. However, serum IL-17A was only increased in patients with longer disease duration and showed few correlation with clinical and laboratory features in pSS patients. In conclusion, IL-17F was correlated with increased autoantibody levels and disease activity in pSS and is more clinically relevant than IL-17A.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Peking University People's Hospital and Beijing Key Laboratory for Rheumatism Mechanism and Immune Diagnosis (BZ0135), Beijing, China; Center of Clinical Immunology, Peking University, Beijing 100044, China; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yuzhou
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gan
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Peking University People's Hospital and Beijing Key Laboratory for Rheumatism Mechanism and Immune Diagnosis (BZ0135), Beijing, China; Center of Clinical Immunology, Peking University, Beijing 100044, China; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xiaozhen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Peking University People's Hospital and Beijing Key Laboratory for Rheumatism Mechanism and Immune Diagnosis (BZ0135), Beijing, China; Center of Clinical Immunology, Peking University, Beijing 100044, China; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Peking University People's Hospital and Beijing Key Laboratory for Rheumatism Mechanism and Immune Diagnosis (BZ0135), Beijing, China; Center of Clinical Immunology, Peking University, Beijing 100044, China; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Peking University People's Hospital and Beijing Key Laboratory for Rheumatism Mechanism and Immune Diagnosis (BZ0135), Beijing, China; Center of Clinical Immunology, Peking University, Beijing 100044, China; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Peking University People's Hospital and Beijing Key Laboratory for Rheumatism Mechanism and Immune Diagnosis (BZ0135), Beijing, China; Center of Clinical Immunology, Peking University, Beijing 100044, China; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xiaolin
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9709-1532
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Peking University People's Hospital and Beijing Key Laboratory for Rheumatism Mechanism and Immune Diagnosis (BZ0135), Beijing, China; Center of Clinical Immunology, Peking University, Beijing 100044, China; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Zhanguo
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-3421-6972
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D058504:Th17 Cells / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D001323:Autoantibodies; C508717:IL17A protein, human; C440021:IL17F protein, human; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D020381:Interleukin-17