• DOI:10.1167/iovs.07-1390
• Corpus ID: 26230977

Upregulated IL-23 and IL-17 in Behçet patients with active uveitis.

@article{Chi2008UpregulatedIA,
  title={Upregulated IL-23 and IL-17 in Behçet patients with active uveitis.},
  author={Wei Chi and Xuefei Zhu and Peizeng Yang and Xiaoli Liu and Xiaomin Lin and Hong-yan Zhou and Xiang-kun Huang and Aize Kijlstra},
  journal={Investigative ophthalmology \& visual science},
  year={2008},
  volume={49 7},
  pages={
          3058-64
        }
}

• W. Chi, Xuefei Zhu, +5 authors A. Kijlstra
• Published 1 July 2008
• Biology, Medicine
• Investigative ophthalmology & visual science

PURPOSE
Behçet disease (BD) is a systemic inflammatory disease presumably caused by an autoimmune response. The interleukin (IL)-23/IL-17 pathway has been demonstrated to be involved in the development and maintenance of certain inflammatory diseases. This study was designed to investigate the role of IL-23 and IL-17 in BD.

METHODS
IL-23p19 mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was examined using RT-PCR. The levels of IL-23, IL-17, and IFN-gamma in sera or PBMCs were detected by ELISA. Flow cytometry was used to evaluate the frequencies of IL-17-producing and IFN-gamma-producing T cells and the expression of CD45RO.

RESULTS
Results showed that the expression of IL-23p19 mRNA, IL-23, IL-17, and IFN-gamma was markedly elevated in BD patients with active uveitis. The frequencies of IL-17-producing and IFN-gamma-producing T cells from PBMCs were significantly upregulated in BD patients with active uveitis. The increased IL-17 (3.10% +/- 0.53%) in BD patients with active uveitis was primarily produced by CD45RO(+) memory T cells. Recombinant (r) IL-23 could upregulate IL-17 production by polyclonally stimulated PBMCs, whereas interferon (IFN)-gamma downregulated IL-17 production.

CONCLUSIONS
These findings reveal that the levels of IL-23, IL-17, and IFN-gamma are elevated in BD patients with active uveitis, and they suggest that the IL-23/IL-17 pathway together with IFN-gamma is associated with the active intraocular inflammation in BD patients.