| Objective To investigate the numerical and cytokine environmentin of Th17 cells and regulatory T (Treg) cells in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), in order to discover the role of Th17/Treg cells in the pathogenesis of ankylosing spondylitis and find the new way in the treatment of AS.Methods 50 ankylosing spondylitis patients were selected from the first affiliated hospital of Anhui Medical University during 2009 to 2010. 43 healthy people from physical examination were selected as controls during the same period. According to the disease? activity we divided the AS patients into disease activity group and stable condition group. The frequency of Th17 cells and Tregs were determined by flow cytometry with 15 AS patients and 13 health controls, the serum levels of related serum cytokine (IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, IL-23 and TGF-β) were examined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with 50 AS patients and 43 health controls, the mRNA expression levels of RORγt and FOXP3 were determined by quantitative real time PCR (RT-PCR) with 50 AS patients and 43 health controls.Results The frequency of Th17 cells was significantly increased in the AS patients than health controls (P < 0.05), meanwhile the frequency of CD4+CD25+CD127low Tregs was significantly decreased (P < 0.05). The serum levels of IL-6, IL-17 and IL-23 significantly elevated in AS patients as compared with normal controls (P < 0.05), meanwhile the serum levels of IL-2, IL-10, TGF-βshowed no significantly difference (P > 0.05). The serum levels of IL-10 and TGF-βwere significantly higher in disease activity group than stable condition group (P < 0.05). The mRNA level of RORγt was also significantly higher in AS patients (P < 0.05), meanwhile the mRNA level of FOXP3 showed no significantly difference (P > 0.05).Conclusion There was an imbalance of Th17/Treg cells in the peripheral blood of AS patients. The up-regulation of IL-23, IL-6 and RORγt may cause this imbalance.
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