Expression or secretion of IL-17 in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with dilated cardiomyopathy

Objective - The objective of the study was to investigate the relation between interleukin-17 (IL-17) level in the plasma and in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) disease severity. Methods and results - 30 patients with DCM and 20 normal adults as control were studied. IL-17 protein level in plasma, PBMC culture supernatants, and phytohaemagglutinin-stimulated PBMC culture supernatants were measured with ELISA. IL-17 mRNA expression in PBMCs was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Results showed that the IL-17 protein level in PHA-stimulated PBMC culture supernatants or its mRNA level in the PHA-stimulated PBMC, but not in plasma or in PBMC culture supernatants, was significantly elevated in DCM patients compared with normal control subjects. The IL-17 protein level in cultured supernatants and the IL-17 mRNA level in the PBMCs were strongly correlated with the heart function of DCM patients. Conclusions - The ability to express IL-17 protein or mRNA in PBMC is abnormal and the change strongly correlates with the heart function of DCM patients.