Study On The Relationship Between Th17 Cells And Related Factors And RVVC

Background:Th17 cells play a major role in autoimmune diseases and body defense responses.Numerous studies have shown that interleukin(IL)-17 has a distinct and surprising specific effect in human and mouse resistance to Candida albicans infection.Recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis(RVVC)is a common disease in women of childbearing age,and its recurrent and difficult to cure has seriously affected the quality of life of patients.In this study,we investigated the involvement of the Th17 response in both RVVC patients and an animal model of Recurrent Vulvovaginal Candidiasis,to provide theoretical support for finding new treatment options of RVVC.Methods:Collecting vaginal washes from clinical patients and detecting IL-17 a nd IL-23 levels by ELISA to compare the association of Th17 with inflammation progression.Twenty-one patients with VVC and 21 patients with RVVC and21 normal patients were included as controls.Patients with pregnancy,vaginal washes within 3 days,steroid therapy for less than 3 months,diabetes,infectious disease,immunodeficiency,and recent immunosuppressive therapy were excluded.Establishing the rat sham model by using estrogen.And then,establishing a Rat mode of RVVC by vaginal inoculation of Candida albicans.The expression of endogenous Th17 cells in rats was artificially changed by intraperitoneal injection of a halofuginone solution.The peripheral blood of rats was collecte d by orbital venous plexus sputum.The amount of Th17 was then detected by flow cytometry.We recorded the changes in expression of IL-17 and IL-23 in t he vaginal wash,accompany with the changes of Th17 cells.Monitoring the dev elopment of inflammation through vaginal secretion culture at the same time.Results:The results of ELISA data showed that the expressions of IL-17(918.507±415.504pg/mL;728.849±290.267pg/mL)and IL-23(160.541±58.548pg/mL;186.173±71.879pg/mL),in vaginal washes of patients with VVC and RVVC,were both significantly higher than those of the normal.Flow detection results suggest tha t intraperitoneal injection of halofuginone solution reduced the number of Th17 cells in peripheral blood of rats,and the expression of IL-17 and IL-23 in rat vaginal wash was down-regulated.With the down-regulation of the expression of these two cytokines,the vaginal infection in rats is aggravated.Conclusions:By reducing the number of Th17 cells,the expression of related cytokines can be down-regulated,and the progression of RVVC is aggravated.