Introduction and objective Th17 lymphocytes and their cytokines, interleukin 17A (IL-17A), IL-17F and IL-22, participate in the response to extracellular bacteria and in the autoimmunity and may be engaged in the pathogenesis of Lyme borreliosis.Concentrations were measured of IL-17A, IL-17F and IL-22 in the supernatant of the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) culture stimulated with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato ( B.burgdorferi ).Material and Methods The whole wheat phyllo dough study group consisted of 13 patients with early disseminated and late Lyme borreliosis and a control group of 7 healthy persons.
PBMC cultures were stimulated for 48 hours with B.burgdorferi spirochetes of three pathogenic species: B.burgdorferi sensu stricto, B.afzelii or B.
garinii , in the multiplicity of infection 10:1.Concentrations of Th17 cytokines IL-17A, IL-17F and IL-22, as well here as Th2/immunoregulatory cytokine IL-10 were measured with ELISA assays.Results Expression of IL-17A, IL-17F and IL-22 increased under stimulation, simultaneously with the increased IL-10 expression.Concentration of IL-17F tended to be lower in early neuroborreliosis than in late Lyme borreliosis and than in controls.
B.afzelii elicited higher expression of IL-17A than the other two species.Conclusions IL-17A, IL-17F and IL-22 are synthesized simultaneously by PBMC stimulated with B.burgdorferi.
There is no antagonism between Th17 response and IL-10 expression.The role of Th17 cytokines seems to differ depending on the clinical stage of Lyme borreliosis and on the B.burgdorferi species.