Pilot study of interleukin-17 producing cells in synovial fluid monocytes of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

摘要

In recent years interleukin-17 (IL-17)-producing cells (Thl7 cells) have been described [1]. Thl7 cells play critical roles in several human inflammatory diseases [2,3]- We previously demonstrated that PBMCs from patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) showed increased numbers of IL-17-positive CD4+T cells compared with control subjects [4].Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by dysregulated activation of both T and B lymphocytes. Chun Kwok Wong showed that plasma IL-17concen-trations and the number of Thl 7 cells were significantly elevated in SLE patients than control subjects [5]. IL-17+T cells are found in kidney biopsies of patients with lupus nephritis suggesting that they contribute to the pathogenesis of kidney damage in patients with SLE [6].