The Research Of Expression Of IL-17in Hepatic Fibrosis Induced By Schistosomiasis

【Objective】Not only does IL-17serve to amplify the infammatory responses，autoimmune diseases，allergic disease，but it has recently been implicated as a profbrotic cytokine. IL-17plays aimportant role in several diseases about fibrosis, such as pulmonary fibrosis, systemicsclerosis, myocardial fibrosis, and so on. But nationally and internationally, research andstudy about the relationship between IL-17and schistosomiasis-induced hepatic fibrosis isnot yet known clearly. Therefore, the aim of this research was to observe the expression ofIL-17in liver tissue both in human and experimental Balb/c mouse models of schistosomalliver fibrosis, with the purpose of elucidating the relationship and possible mechanismbetween IL-17and schistosomiasis induced-liver fibrosis, in order to look for anothereffective targets about the treatment of liver fibrosis.【Methods】1. Liver tissue samples were collected from hospitalized patients and outpatients in Tongjihospital from2009to2011（20patients who had hepatic fibrosis induced bySchistosomiasis, other5patients，used as the control group，who had no hepatic fibrosisconfirmed by pathology）by liver biopsy. Hepatic pathological changes and collagen fibersdeposition were observed by HE staining and Masson staining. The expression of IL-17was detected by Real-time PCR reaction and Immunohistochemistry. 2. Experimental mouse models of hepatic fibrosis induced by schistosomiasis wereestabilished successfully. Balb/c mouses were infected by cercaries of Schistosomajaponicum penetrating through their abdominal walls, and compared with mices in normalcontrol group.4W,6W,8W,10W,12W after infection, respectively, the liver tissueswere harvested and fixed with formalin for making the paraffin. Liver pathological changesand collagenous fibers deposition were evaluated with HE staining and Masson staining.The expression of IL-17was observed by Immunohistochemistry and Real-time PCRreaction.【Result】1. Compared with mices in normal control, the expression of collagenous fibers and IL-17were highly increased in the liver tissues of patients who had liver fibrosis due toSchistosoma japonicum infection,(P<0.05). The expression of IL-17was mainly localizedin the inflammatory cells around egg granulomas and the portal tract areas.2. Compared with the control, up-regulation of IL-17expression was observed in the livertissues of experimental mouse models of schistosomal liver fibrosis after6weeks, the peakis at8th week, especially8th week (P<0.05), and IL-17was mainly expressed around egggranulomas, the portal tract area, and inflammatory cells infiltrating parts.【Conclusions】Our results is that IL-17highly expressed in liver tissues both patients and experimentalmouse models of hepatic fibrosis induced by schistosomiasis compared with the control.IL-17was mainly expressed around egg granulomas, the portal tract areas, andinflammatory cells infiltrating parts. It is possible that IL-17is associated with theimmunopathology of hepatic schistosomiasis granuloma. The study concludes that IL-17may play an important role in schistosomiasis liver fibrosis.