Th17 Cells and Its Role in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis(RA)is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease of unknown complex etiology.Although a variety of cells and molecules are recognized as contributors to the inflammation and the progressive joint destruction,antigen-specific T-cell activation is always thought to be a central event in the initiation and progression of this disease.Various subtypes of T cells play a variety of roles in the pathogenesis of RA.It has been discovered recently that Th17 cell is a kind of Th cell subset,and is distinct from the Th1 and Th2 cell and produce IL-17.Here is to make a review on the effecting factors on Th17 differentiation,the cytokines and the function of the cell lineage involved in RA.