Role and Significance of T Help Cells 17 in Pathogenesis of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura

Objective: To investigate the role and significance of T help cells 17(Th17) in pathogenesis of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP).

Methods: Peripheral blood samples from ITP patients and normal controls were examined for Th17 cell proportion by flow cytometry (FCM). Expression of IL-17, IL-23, IL-6 and TGF-β1 in hematoplasma was detected by ELISA. The mRNA expression level of IL-17 and RORγt in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC) from patients with ITP and normal controls were measured by RT-PCR technique, and expression levels of pSTAT3 and RORγt proteins were analyzed by Western-blot.

Results: Th17 cells in peripheral blood from patients with ITP was greatly increased when compared with normal control group (P<0.05). Expressions of IL-17, IL-23, IL-6 and TGF-β1 in hematoplasma of ITP patients were all significantly higher than those in normal control group (all P<0.01). mRNA expression levels of IL-17 and RORγt in PBMNC from patients with ITP were much higher than those in normal controls (P<0.05). Protein expressions of pSTAT3 and RORγt in PBMNC of ITP patients were greatly increased as compared with those in control (P<0.05).

Conclusions: Th17 cell subgroup may play a role in incidence and development of ITP, which may participate in the pathogenesis of ITP by increasing Th17 cell proportion and altering the expression level of Th17-related cytokines as well as regulatory and transcriptional factors.