Xie Sanxiang, Ding Lei, Xiong Zhigang, Zhu Shengrong
Department of Stomatology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
J Huazhong Univ Sci Technolog Med Sci. 2012 Jun;32(3):451-457. doi: 10.1007/s11596-012-0078-7. Epub 2012 Jun 9.
Oral lichen planus (OLP) is considered a T cell-mediated autoimmune disease with unknown aetiology. T helper cells appear to play an important role in the pathogenesis of OLP. We investigated the possible role of T helper cells, Th1 and Th17, in the lesions and circulation of patients with OLP. Forty patients with OLP and 15 healthy volunteers were recruited. Double immunofluorescence staining was used to detect Th1 and Th17 cells in the OLP lesions, and intracellular cytokine staining and flow cytometry to evaluate the proportion of Th1 and Th17 cells in peripheral blood. The levels of serum interferon (IFN)-γ and interleukin (IL)-17 were assessed by using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. It was found that Th17 cells, as well as Th1 cells, were present in OLP lesions. The proportion of peripheral Th1 and Th17 cells was significantly increased in patients with OLP. The proportion of Th17 cells in atrophic-erosive OLP was elevated as compared with that in reticular OLP. Serum IL-17 levels in OLP patients were significantly higher than in controls, and those in the atrophic-erosive OLP group were increased as compared with the reticular OLP group. However, the levels of serum IFN-γ were slightly decreased in OLP patients. Our data suggested that Th1 and Th17 cells in the local lesions and peripheral blood may be associated with the pathogenesis of OLP, and that IL-17 may be an important proinflammatory cytokine in OLP. These findings enhance our understanding of OLP pathogenesis.
口腔扁平苔藓（OLP）被认为是一种病因不明的T细胞介导的自身免疫性疾病。辅助性T细胞似乎在OLP的发病机制中起重要作用。我们研究了辅助性T细胞Th1和Th17在OLP患者病变组织及血液循环中的可能作用。招募了40例OLP患者和15名健康志愿者。采用双重免疫荧光染色检测OLP病变组织中的Th1和Th17细胞，采用细胞内细胞因子染色和流式细胞术评估外周血中Th1和Th17细胞的比例。采用酶联免疫吸附测定法评估血清干扰素（IFN）-γ和白细胞介素（IL）-17水平。结果发现，OLP病变组织中存在Th17细胞以及Th1细胞。OLP患者外周血Th1和Th17细胞比例显著升高。萎缩糜烂型OLP中Th17细胞比例高于网状型OLP。OLP患者血清IL-17水平显著高于对照组，萎缩糜烂型OLP组血清IL-17水平高于网状型OLP组。然而，OLP患者血清IFN-γ水平略有下降。我们的数据表明，局部病变组织和外周血中的Th1和Th17细胞可能与OLP的发病机制有关，并且IL-17可能是OLP中一种重要的促炎细胞因子。这些发现增进了我们对OLP发病机制的理解。
