Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship between the expression of peripheral blood HLA-DR, CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells, IL-17 and IL-27 with liver damage in children with human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection. METHODS: Twenty-one HCMV children with liver damage and twenty-one HCMV children without liver damage were enrolled in this study. The expression of peripheral blood HLA-DR and CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells was detected by flow cytometry. Plasma levels of IL-17 and IL-27 were measured using ELISA. RESULTS: The plasma levels of IL-17 and IL-27 in children with liver damage were significantly higher than in those without liver damage, while the expression of peripheral blood CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells was lower than in those without liver damage (P<0.05). Plasma IL-17 and IL-27 levels were negatively correlated with the expression of peripheral blood CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Immune imbalance mediated by CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells and over-expression of IL-17 and IL-27 may be involved in the pathogenesis of liver damage in children with HCMV infection.