Research progress of Th17 cells and IL-23 in inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease(IBD),which occurs in the gastrointestinal tract,is a nonspecific chronic inflammatory disease.The etiology and pathogenesis are still unknown.A lot of evidences show that abnormalities of congenital and acquired immune system play a key role in this disease.IBD has been traditionally associated with Th1 and Th2 cell-mediated immune response.But a new study points out,Th17 cells and IL-23,are closely linked to the pathogenesis of IBD.In this article,the research advances of Th17 cells and IL-23 in IBD in recent years are reviewed.