OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of letherally total body irradiation (TBI) on distribution of T-lymphocyte subtypes and their cytokine expression.

METHODSThe BALB/c mice were divided randomly into ⁶⁰Co gamma rays TBI group and control group. Mice were sacrificed 7 days after irradiation. The lymphocytes in spleens, mesenteric lymphonodes, livers and bone marrow were collected and counted. Changes of CD4(+) T and CD8(+) T cell subsets as well as the expressions of IFN-γ and IL-17 were analyzed by flow cytometry.

RESULTS(1)Compared with control group, the total number of lymphocytes in marrow, spleen, lymph node and liver distinctively decreased in TBI group [(5.34±1.14)×10⁵ vs (3.08±1.13)×10⁷, (2.10±0.54)×10⁵ vs (2.71±0.83)×10⁷, (5.89±1.07)×10⁵ vs (7.92±1.15)×10⁷ and (3.45±1.01)×10⁵ vs (7.44±0.79)×10⁶, respectively, and the significant differences were observed between two groups in each organ (P<0.05)]. (2)The level of IFN-γ produced by CD4(+) T in spleen, lymph node and liver elevated in TBI group compared to control group, which were (20.77±2.03)% vs (3.69±3.13)%, (6.28±0.46)% vs (1.11±0.17)%, (27.24±5.79)% vs (9.01±1.24)% respectively, the differences between two groups in each organ were significant (P<0.05). (3)Percentages of IFN-γ(+)CD8(+) T in spleen, lymph node and liver in TBI group increased compared to control group [(52.40±9.26)% vs (43.06±1.04)%, (33.56±5.02)% vs (21.83±4.22)%, and (44.27±8.97)% vs (19.32±3.11)%, respectively, and the differences between two groups in each tissue were significant (P<0.05)]. (4)However, IL-17A expressions in CD4(+) T and CD8(+) T cells from spleen and liver were lower than those in control group.

CONCLUSIONTBI induced the reduction of lymphocytes and the expansion of IFN-γ producing Th1 and Tc1 effector cells in mice.

Animals ; Interferon-gamma ; secretion ; Interleukin-17 ; secretion ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; immunology ; secretion ; Whole-Body Irradiation

OBJECTIVETo study the value of eosinophils (EOS) and interleukin-17 (IL-17) in nasopharyngeal secretions in the evaluation of progress of wheezing in children under 5 years old.

METHODSFifty-three children under five years old who had recurrent wheezing were classified into two groups: wheezing group I with atopic body (n=27) and wheezing group II without atopic body (n=26). Twenty pre-surgical children with non-infectious disease were used as the control group. Nasopharyngeal secretions were collected. Inflammatory cells in nasopharyngeal secretions were counted under the microscope. IL-17 levels in supernatants were measured using ELISA.

RESULTSEOS counts in nasopharyngeal secretions in wheezing group I were significantly higher than those in wheezing group II and the control group (p<0.05, p<0.01, respectively). There were no significant differences in EOS counts between wheezing II and the control groups. The IL-17 levels in both wheezing groups were significantly higher than those in the control group (p<0.01), and the wheezing group I had increased IL-17 levels than wheezing group II (1 474+/-974 pg/mL vs 788+/-132 pg/mL; p<0.05). The IL-17 level was positively correlated with the EOS counts in wheezing group I (r=0.62, p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSEOS counts and IL-17 levels in nasopharyngeal secretions may be used as indices for identifying the tendency to develop asthma in children under 5 years old with wheezing.

Child, Preschool ; Eosinophils ; physiology ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Interleukin-17 ; analysis ; Leukocyte Count ; Male ; Nasopharynx ; secretion ; Respiratory Sounds ; immunology

PURPOSE: This study investigated interleukin (IL)-17-secreting cell involvement in sterile inflammation, and evaluated the effect of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on IL-17-secreting cell immunologic profiling. METHODS: Twenty mice were sacrificed at time points of 6 hours, 1 day, 1 week, and 3 weeks (each group, n = 5) after the cornea was chemically injured with 0.5N NaOH; IL-17 changes in the cornea were evaluated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Further, IL-17 secreting cells were assessed in the cervical lymph nodes by a flow cytometer. Rat MSCs were applied intraperitoneally in a burn model (n = 10), IL-17-secreting T helper 17 (Th17) cell and non-Th17 cell changes were checked using a flow cytometer in both cornea and cervical lymph nodes at 1week, and compared with those in the positive control (n = 10). RESULTS: IL-17 was highest in the cornea at 1 week, while, in the cervical lymph nodes, IL-17-secreting cells showed early increase at 6 hours, and maintained the increase through 1 day to 1 week, and levels returned to the basal level at 3 weeks. Specifically, the non-Th17 cells secreted IL-17 earlier than the Th17 cells. When the MSCs were applied, IL-17 secretion was reduced in CD3(+)CD4(-)CD8(-), CD3(+)CD4(+)CD8(-), and CD3(+) CD4(-)CD8(+) cells of the cervical lymph nodes by 53.7%, 43.8%, and 50.8%, respectively. However, in the cornea, IL-17 secretion of CD3(+)CD4(-)CD8(-) cells was completely blocked. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that both IL-17-secreting non-Th17 and Th17 cells were involved in the chemical burn model, and MSCs appeared to mainly modulate non-Th17 cells and also partially suppress the Th17 cells.
Animals ; Burns, Chemical/*immunology/metabolism/pathology ; Cells, Cultured ; Disease Models, Animal ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Eye Burns/*immunology/metabolism/pathology ; Flow Cytometry ; *Immunity, Cellular ; Interleukin-17/*secretion ; Male ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells/immunology/pathology/*secretion ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL

In addition to CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T (T(reg)) cells which protect against autoimmune tissue injury, IL-17-producing CD4+ T (Th17) cells have been recently described and shown to play a crucial role in autoimmune injury. It appears that there is a reciprocal developmental pathway between Th17 and T(reg) cells. Although IL-17 is known to be associated with allograft rejection, the cellular source of IL-17 and the nature of Th17 in the context of allograft rejection remain unknown. In the current study, the dynamics of T(reg) and IL-17-producing cells after syngeneic and allogeneic transplantation were examined using a wild-type murine cardiac transplantation model. Ly6G+ cells were found to produce IL-17 during the early postoperative period and CD8+ as well as CD4+ T cells were also found to produce IL-17 during alloimmune response. Graft-infiltrating Ly6G+, CD4+, and even CD8+ cells were found to express IL-17 highly compared to those in spleen. Although the frequencies of Th17 and T(reg) were found to gradually increase in both syngeneic and allogeneic recipients, Th17/T(reg) ratios were significantly higher in recipients with allograft rejection than in syngeneic recipients. In conclusion, IL-17 is produced by neutrophils during the early postoperative period and subsequently by Th17 and CD8+ T cells during allograft rejection. Th17/T(reg) imbalance is associated with the development of allograft rejection. This study would provide basic information on Th17 biology for future investigation in the field of transplantation.
Animals ; Antigens, CD/biosynthesis ; Autoimmunity ; Forkhead Transcription Factors/biosynthesis ; Graft Rejection/immunology/*metabolism ; Heart Transplantation ; Interleukin-17/immunology/*secretion ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Neutrophils/immunology/*metabolism/pathology ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets/immunology/*metabolism ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory/immunology/*metabolism ; Time Factors ; Transplantation Immunology