Objective:To study the expression of IFN-γ,IL-4 and IL-17 in peripheral blood of patients with oral lichen planus(OLP). Methods:The level of IFN-γ,IL-4 and IL-17 in peripheral blood were detected by ELISA in 60 OLP patients(including 30 erosive ca-ses and 30 non-erosive cases)and 25 healthy volunteers(controls).Data were statistically analyzed by SPSS 13.0.Results:(1 )The level of IFN-γin serum of patients with non-erosive OLP and erosive OLP were significantly lower than that in the controls(P<0.01);while the level of IL-4 in the patients were significantly higher than that in the controls(P<0.01),and the IFN-γ/IL-4 ratio in non-ero-sive OLP and erosive groups were significantly lower than that in the control group(P<0.01);(2)The level of IL-17 in erosive OLP pa-tients was significantly higher than that in the controls(P<0.05),while no statistical difference was seen between non-erosive OLP group and the control group(P>0.05).Conclusion:The down-regulated level of IFN-γand up-regulated level of IL-4,which result in the decrease of IFN-γ/IL-4 ratio,might be one of the immune etiological factors of OLP,while the up-regulated level of IL-17 protein in OLP may be mainly related with the inflammatory processes of OLP.

Objective To investigate the distribution of HLA-B27 subtypes in ankylosing spondylitis(AS) patients of Chinese Han population by using the updated HLA-B27 typing data. Methods One hundred AS subjects were randomly selected from spondyloarthritis patients data bank of the third affiliated hospital of Sun Yat-sen university. All subjects were independent individuals, and the duplicated samples in the same family were excluded. Salt fraction method was used to prepare genome DNA. Luminex liquid array combining PCR-SSOP was used to perform the low resolution HLA-B genotyping. PCR-SSP was applied to perform the high resolution HLA-B27 typing for HLA-B27 positive subjects. Results Ninety-eight independent AS patients were recruited randomily, of which, 93 were HLA-B27 positive, with positive rate 94.9%, and covered 96% patients with family history of AS. Three subtypes were detected in this population including B * 2704 (n=76, 81.7%), B * 2705 (n=12, 12.9%) and B * 2715 (n=5, 5.4%). Compared with the two reports about HLA-B27 subtype distribution in healthy HLA-B27 positive Han population there was no significant difference between AS patients and healthy controls. But no B * 2715 case was found in those two reports of healthy population. Three reports (including 1 report in Chinese) could found about B * 2715 subtype, but all positive cases were oriental people. Furthermore, all B * 2715 positive patients were AS patients. Conclusion B * 2704 is the predominant subtype ,in AS patients of Chinese Han population, and followed by B * 2705. We found five cases with positive B * 2715, a considerable rare allele. This may suggest association between B * 2715 and AS.

Objective To study T lymphocyte subsets and expression of costimulatory molecule CD154 on T-cells in peripheral blood from patients with ankylosing spondylitis and their changes after treated with Enbrel. Methods Sixty-six patients with AS(39 active and 27 inactive, 35 axial and peripheral joint involvement and 31 axial involvement only), 30 patients with rheumatoid arthritis(RA), 30 healthy volunteers were analyzed. The expression of CD154 on CD3+ T cell as well as T-cells subsets were evaluated using flow cytometry respectively. The changes of the expression of costimulatory molecule CD154 in 39 active AS patients(Enbrel treatment or placebo treatment) were observed in a randomized, double-blind, placebothan that of healthy volunteers, and CD154 expression on CD3+ T cells in peripheral blood in AS patients was on CD3+ T cells in the peripheral blood of active AS or AS patients with peripheral joint involvement were significantly higher than those in inactive or axial involvement only AS patients(P＜0.05), and CD154 on CD3+ placebo, in AS patients group, there was significant reduction in CD154 expression on CD3+ T cells in Enbrel group at week 6(P＜0.05), there was no significant difference between Enbrel group and healthy volunteers at week 6(P＞0.05). Conclusion T lymphocyte subsets are significantly abnormal and CD154 is overexpressed on T-cells in peripheral blood of patients with AS. A six-week course of treatment with Enbrel in active AS can induce a down-regulation of the expression of CD154 on T cells.