Contribution of T helper 17 cells and interleukin-17 to the pathogenesis of primary immune thrombocytopenia in Egyptian children

Tamer Hassan; Marwa Zakaria; Asmaa Diaa; Ayman E L Sayed Abdalla; A L Sayed M Sayed Ahmed; Doaa M Abdelmonem; Eman Abdelaziz

doi:10.1007/s00431-023-05242-3

Contribution of T helper 17 cells and interleukin-17 to the pathogenesis of primary immune thrombocytopenia in Egyptian children

Eur J Pediatr. 2023 Dec;182(12):5673-5679. doi: 10.1007/s00431-023-05242-3. Epub 2023 Oct 12.

Authors

Tamer Hassan¹, Marwa Zakaria², Asmaa Diaa¹, Ayman E L Sayed Abdalla³, A L Sayed M Sayed Ahmed⁴, Doaa M Abdelmonem⁵, Eman Abdelaziz⁵

Affiliations

¹ Pediatrics, Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, 44519, Egypt.
² Pediatrics, Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, 44519, Egypt. marwazakaria12@yahoo.com.
³ Ultra Medical Center, Alain-Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
⁴ AL-Dhafra Hospital, Seha, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
⁵ Clinical Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt.

Abstract

Though pathogenesis of primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is still rendered unclear, yet there are many research efforts that have been directed to the role of T helper 17 (Th17) and interleukin 17 (IL-17) in the pathogenesis of this disease. The Th17 cell, which produces IL-17, is a subset of T helper cells. Interleukin 17 is pro-inflammatory cytokine that is recently proved to have a crucial role in the emergence of autoimmune diseases. We aimed to investigate the role of T helper17 cells and interleukin-17 in the pathogenesis of ITP in Egyptian children. This study was carried out on 100 children with ITP and 100 apparently healthy children as a control group. Patients were subjected to full medical history taking, thorough physical examination and routine investigations according to our local standards. Percentage of Th17 cells was measured by flow cytometry in study groups. Also, serum IL-17 was measured in in study groups by ELISA. Th 17 cells were significantly higher in patients compared to controls. Moreover, 3.1-fold increased serum levels of IL-17 were observed in patients with ITP compared to controls. Newly diagnosed patients had significantly higher percentage of Th-17cells as well as higher IL-17 levels than patients with either persistent or chronic ITP. Conclusion: We concluded that Th 17 cells and IL-17 seem to play an important role in the pathogenesis of ITP in Egyptian children. What is Known -- What is New: • The pathogenesis of ITP is heterogeneous A novel subset of CD4+ T cells, distinct from Th1 and Th2, was recently identified. It is characterized by the production of IL-17 and, therefore, designated as Th17 cells. Several studies support a pivotal role for serum cytokines in the pathogenesis of ITP and provide evidence to suggest that helper Tlymphocytes polarize into Th1 and Th2 immune response. we aimed to investigate the role of T helper17 cells and interleukin-17 in the pathogenesis of ITP in Egyptian children.

Keywords: Children; ITP; Immune thrombocytopenia; Interleukin 17.

MeSH terms

Child
Cytokines
Egypt
Humans
Interleukin-17
Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic*
Th17 Cells*

Substances

Interleukin-17
Cytokines