Medical Clinic, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany.
Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2012 Jan;18(1):180-6. doi: 10.1002/ibd.21677. Epub 2011 Mar 4.
The recent discovery and characterization of T helper 17 cells (Th17) and their signature cytokines (IL-17) represents a hallmark in T-cell immunobiology by providing a new distinctive pathway for the communication between adaptive and innate immunity. From the six members of the IL-17 cytokine family presently known, at least two have evident proinflammatory qualities and are involved in several chronic inflammatory disorders, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). IL-17A and IL-17F are abundantly found in inflamed IBD mucosa, suggesting their pivotal role in IBD. However, the precise implication of IL-17 cytokine family members in IBD pathogenesis and the mechanisms regulating their secretion are incompletely understood. Importantly, recent findings suggest that beyond IL-17 production-Th17 cells may secret a plethora of other effector cytokines such as IL-21, IL-22, and IL-9- which is in part induced by its own IL-9 production. However, the use of anti-IL-17 therapeutic strategies in experimental models of chronic inflammation results in disease-ameliorating effects suggesting their potential use in IBD patients. In this review article we discuss the latest findings on the role of Th17 cells and IL-17 family members in IBD immunopathology, as well as research perspectives.
最近发现并描述了辅助性 T 细胞 17 型（Th17）及其标志性细胞因子（IL-17），这为适应性免疫和固有免疫之间的交流提供了一条新的独特途径，标志着 T 细胞免疫生物学的一个里程碑。目前已知的白细胞介素-17 细胞因子家族的六个成员中，至少有两个具有明显的促炎特性，并参与几种慢性炎症性疾病，包括炎症性肠病（IBD）。IL-17A 和 IL-17F 在炎症性 IBD 黏膜中大量存在，表明它们在 IBD 中具有重要作用。然而，IL-17 细胞因子家族成员在 IBD 发病机制中的确切作用以及调节其分泌的机制尚不完全清楚。重要的是，最近的研究结果表明，除了产生 IL-17 之外-Th17 细胞还可能分泌大量其他效应细胞因子，如 IL-21、IL-22 和 IL-9-这部分是由其自身的 IL-9 产生诱导的。然而，在慢性炎症的实验模型中使用抗 IL-17 治疗策略会导致疾病缓解，这表明它们可能在 IBD 患者中使用。在这篇综述文章中，我们讨论了 Th17 细胞和 IL-17 家族成员在 IBD 免疫病理学中的最新发现，以及研究展望。
