Research Article: Study on the relationship between disease progression and changes in Th17/Treg levels in patients with relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis
Abstract:
This study aims to investigate the relationship between disease progression and changes in Th17/Treg levels in patients with relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).
This retrospective study analyzed clinical data and Th17/Treg cell levels from 130 RRMS patients and 100 non-inflammatory neurological disease controls treated between December 2021 and January 2025. Th17 cells were identified as CD4 + IL-17A + cells and Treg cells as CD4 + CD25 + Foxp3 + cells via flow cytometry.
The two groups were comparable in baseline characteristics ( p >?0.05). The proportion of CD4 + IL-17A + Th17 cells was significantly higher in RRMS patients than in controls (4.26?±?1.35% vs. 1.52?±?0.47%, p <?0.05), while CD4 + CD25 + Foxp3 + Treg cells were significantly lower (2.91?±?0.98% vs. 5.38?±?1.52%, p <?0.05). Acute-phase patients showed higher Th17 and lower Treg proportions than remission-phase patients ( p <?0.05). Following methylprednisolone treatment, Th17 cells decreased, Treg cells increased, and EDSS scores improved ( p <?0.05 for all). Pearson correlation analysis revealed that Th17 proportion and Th17/Treg ratio were positively correlated with EDSS scores ( r =?0.521, p <?0.01; r =?0.485, p <?0.001), while Treg proportion was negatively correlated ( r =??0.387, p <?0.05).
Th17/Treg imbalance may be an important mechanism underlying RRMS pathogenesis and disease progression. Modulating this balance may represent a promising therapeutic target for RRMS.
Introduction:
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system, with Relapsing–Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS) being the most common clinical type, characterized by recurrent episodes of neurological dysfunction and remission periods ( 1 , 2 ). The pathogenesis of RRMS is complex, involving abnormal immune system attacks on the myelin sheath of the central nervous system, leading to impaired neural signal transmission ( 3 – 6 ). Currently, it is believed that helper T…
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