Correlation Study Of KLF4 On Th17/Treg Cell Imbalance In Asthma

Objective:In this study,we measured the number of Th17 cells,Treg cell differentiation,IL-17,IL-10 concentrations in peripheral blood cells and KLF4 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in patients with an acute asthma and healthy control groups,and analyzed the correlation between the number of Th17 cells,Treg cell differentiation,IL-17,IL-10 concentrations and KLF4 expression in patients with asthma,to investigate the role of KLF4 on the balance of Th17/Treg cells in the development of asthma and related mechanisms,and to provide some new ideas for the diagnosis and treatment of asthma.Methods:Thirty adult patients with acute exacerbation asthma who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were collected as the experimental group,and 30 individuals who were examined at our hospital during the same period were set up as the control group,and all of them signed an informed consent form.Blood specimens were collected from each study group,and the number of Th17 and Treg cells in peripheral blood was measured by flow cytometry;the concentrations of IL-17 and IL-10 in peripheral blood were measured by flow-phase multiplex protein quantification;and the expression level of KLF4 was measured by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR after extraction of peripheral blood single nuclei cells by density gradient centrifugation.The levels of Th17 cells,Treg cells,IL-17,IL-10,Th17/Treg,IL-17/IL-10 ratio and KLF4 in single nucleated cells were analyzed in the asthma and control groups,and correlations were made.Results:1.The expression level of KLF4 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with acute asthma exacerbation was higher than that of the control group(P < 0.05),and the difference was statistically significant.2.The levels of Th17,IL-17,Th17/Treg and IL-17/IL-10 in peripheral blood of patients with acute exacerbation of asthma were higher than those of the control group(P <0.05),and the differences were statistically significant;the levels of Treg and IL-10 were lower than those of the control group(P < 0.05),and the differences were statistically significant.3.Th17 cells were positively correlated with IL-17 and Treg cells with IL-10 in the peripheral blood of patients with acute asthma exacerbation(P < 0.05),and the correlations were statistically significant.4.KLF4 levels were positively correlated with Th17,IL-17,Th17/Treg,and IL-17/IL-10(P < 0.05),and the correlations were statistically significant.5.KLF4 levels did not correlate with Treg and IL-10(P>0.05).Conclusion:1.KLF4 expression is increased in patients with acute asthma exacerbations,suggesting that KLF4 is involved in the pathogenesis of asthma.2.Th17,IL-17,Th17/Treg and IL-17/IL-10 were increased and Treg and IL-10 were decreased in patients with acute asthma exacerbation,indicating the existence of Th17/Treg immune imbalance in asthma patients,which was manifested by an increase in pro-inflammatory cells and pro-inflammatory factors and a decrease in anti-inflammatory cells and anti-inflammatory factors.3.The expression level of KLF4 was positively correlated with Th17,IL-17,Th17/Treg and IL-17/IL-10,but no correlation with Treg and IL-10,suggesting that KLF4 may participate in the regulation of Th17 differentiation and function,and then affect the Th17/Treg cell balance.