Conclusion
The content of mature CCR6+ T-helper cells with pro-inflammatory activity significantly increases in the blood of patients with peptic ulcer associated with H. pylori infection.
Methods
CCR6+ T-helpers were isolated from the blood by using immuno-magnetic separation adapted to this study. The number of T-helpers of types 1 and 17 (Th1 and Th17) and cells with mixed properties of Th1 and Th17 (Th1/Th17) was determined by intracellular cytokine assay.
Results
Initially, we planned to activate unseparated peripheral blood mononuclear cells ex vivo and evaluate the number of cytokine producers among mature CCR6+ T-helper cells by gating them during the flow cytometry. However, dramatic changes in the phenotype of T-helpers upon activation did not allow us to reliably identify the cells of interest. Subsequently, we used a two-stage immunomagnetic separation procedure to obtain functionally active mature CCR6+ T-helpers with a purity of >90%. The quantitative yield of these cells from the blood of patients with gastric and duodenal peptic ulcer associated with H. pylori was 9 times higher than that from the blood of healthy donors. Activation of CCR6+ T-helpers purified from blood of ulcer patients revealed an increased content of Th1, Th17, and Th1/Th17. One ml of the patient's blood yielded 18.1 times more CCR6+ Th1, 19.4 times more CCR6+ Th17, and 21.1 times more CCR6+ Th1/Th17 compared with the blood of healthy subjects.