Expression and significance of the interleukin-17,interleukin-23 in serum of carotid athery sclerosis in patients with cerebral infarction

Objective To investigate the relationship between the interleukin-17 (IL-17),interleukin23 (IL-23) and carotid artery sclerosis in patients with cerebral infarction.Methods One hundred and twentyfive cerebral infarction patients in the first affiliated hospital of Shantou University medical college from June 2010 to June 2012 were recruited.All the subjects were examined with carotid ultrasonography.According to the results of carotid ultrasonography,all patients were divided into carotid atherosclerosis group(86 cases) and non carotid atherosclerosis group(39 cases).Patients with carotid atherosclerosis were divided into soft plaque group (35 cases),hard plaque group (21 cases),mixed plaque group (30 cases) based on plaque feature.Carotid atherosclerosis patients with cerebral infarction plaque determined by semi-quantitative method were grouped into Ⅰ grade(29 cases),Ⅱ grade (43 cases),Ⅲ grade (14 cases) according to the severity atherosclerosis.Serum levels of IL-17 and IL-23 were measured.Results The levels of IL-17 and IL-23 in patients with carotid atherosclerosis group were (31.42 ± 8.73) μg/L and(21.79 ± 9.34) μg/L,higher than that of non-carotid atherosclerosis group((22.81 ±6.52) μg/L,t =5.15,P ＜0.01 ; (14.33 ±6.21) μg/L,t =4.99,P ＜0.01).The IL-17 and IL-23 levels in patients with soft plaque,hard plaque and mixed plaque group were significant different (F =10.181,3.835,P ＜0.05).Serum IL-17 in soft plaque and mixed plaque expression group was higher than that of hard plaque group (P =0.001,P=0.007).IL-23 level in soft plaque group was higher than mixed plaque and hard plaque groups(P =0.017;P =0.045).The IL-17 and IL-23 levels in Ⅰ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ level group were markedly different (F =41.046,3.739 ; P ＜ 0.05),and there was significant difference between Ⅱ,Ⅲ and Ⅰ group(P ＜0.01,P ＜0.05).The correlation between IL-17 and IL-23 levels in Ⅰ,Ⅱ,Ⅲ level group were 0.892 and 0.420 (P =0.000 ; P =0.041).Conclusion IL-17 and IL-23 play important roles in the pathologic progress of artery sclerosis and are helpful for early diagnosis of the disease. Key words: Interleukin-17;  Interleukin-23;  Cerebral infarction;  Carotid artery sclerosis