Elevated IL-21 plasma levels and increased IL-17-producing T cells in pemphigus.

Abstract

<p>Patients with pemphigus (Pem; n = 10), MG (n = 12) and HC (n = 12) were analysed for IL-21 and IL-17 (<b>A</b>) Active Pem patients as well as MG patients displayed significantly increased plasma concentrations of IL-21. (<b>B</b>) An increasing frequency of IL-17-producing T cells could be obersevd in Pem patients while (<b>C</b>) IL-17/IL-21 double positive T cells and (<b>D</b>) IL-21 single positive T cells showed no statistical difference compared to HC. (<b>E</b>) Pem patients showed increased numbers of autoreactive IL-21-producing T cells by ELISpot assay. PBMC were used for flow cytometry analysis of the intracellular produced cytokines upon stimulation with PMA and ionomycin. Pem patients are categorized as remittent (open symbols) and active (filled symbols). Differences between the groups were analyzed using Mann-Whitney-U-Test with <i>p</i> values indicated as *<i>p</i><0.05, **<i>p</i>0.01 and ***<i>p</i>0.001.</p