Th17, rather than Th1 cell proportion, is closely correlated with elevated disease severity, higher inflammation level, and worse prognosis in sepsis patients.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

The current study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of T helper (Th) 1 and Th17 proportions in sepsis patients.

METHODS:

Th1 and Th17 cells in blood CD4+ T cells were detected by flow cytometry in 210 sepsis patients and 100 healthy controls (HCs). Besides, serum interferon-γ (IFN-γ), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-17 (IL-17) levels in the enrolled sepsis patients were determined with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

RESULTS:

Compared with HCs, Th1 and Th17 proportions were elevated in sepsis patients (both p < .001). Meanwhile, Th1 proportion was strongly correlated with IFN-γ (p < .001, r = .484) but weakly correlated with TNF-α (p = .024, r = .156) and IL-17 (p = .002, r = .212), while Th17 proportion showed faint correlation with IFN-γ (p = .015, r = .168), but strong correlations with TNF-α (p < .001, r = .602) and IL-17 (p < .001, r = .498) in sepsis patients. Besides, Th1 proportion was weakly associated with APACHE II score (p = .030, r = .150), but Th17 proportion was closely associated with APACHE II score (p < .001, r = .322) and SOFA score (p < .001, r = .337) in sepsis patients. Regarding their prognostic value, Th1 proportion (p = .042) was slightly, while Th17 proportion (p < .001) was dramatically, increased in septic deaths compared with survivors, and Th17 possessed good predictive value for 28-day mortality risk (AUC: 0.748, 95% CI: 0.659-0.836).

CONCLUSION:

Th1 and Th17 proportions are elevated in sepsis patients compared with HCs, and Th17 proportion is correlated with increased disease severity, higher inflammation level, and worse prognosis in sepsis patients.

• Authors: Yu Liu, Xiaopin Wang, Li Yu
• Journal: Journal of clinical laboratory analysis (J Clin Lab Anal) Vol. 35 Issue 5 Pg. e23753 (May 2021) ISSN: 1098-2825 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 33704828 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: © 2021 The Authors. Journal of Clinical Laboratory Analysis published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Chemical References

• Cytokines

Topics

• Cytokines (blood)
• Female
• Humans
• Inflammation (blood, pathology)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Prognosis
• Risk Factors
• Sepsis (blood, immunology, mortality, pathology)
• Severity of Illness Index
• Survivors
• Th1 Cells (immunology)
• Th17 Cells (immunology)