摘要Objective To investigate the role of IL-17 in the overproduction of autoantibodies and IL-6 overexpression by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of lupus nephritis (LN) patients.Methods Fifteen consecutively hospitalized LN patients were selected as subjects and 15 healthy adults as normal controls. PBMC were obtained by Ficoll density gradient centrifugation. IgG, anti-dsDNA antibody and IL-6 protein levels were assessed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) on the supernatant of cultured PBMC of LN patients or normal controls. IL-6 mRNA levels in PBMC were measured using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).Results In medium culture, IgG, anti-dsDNA and IL-6 protein levels of the supernatant of PBMC from LN patients were significantly higher than those from normal controls (1492.1±73.2 ng/ml vs 636.7±51.9 ng/ml for IgG, 306.6±53.7 IU/ml vs 95.8±11.6 IU/ml for anti-dsDNA and 50.92±15.92 ng/ml vs 1.77±0.73 ng/ml for IL-6, all P<0.001). In LN patients, IgG, anti-dsDNA and IL-6 protein levels were higher in the supernatants of PBMC in the IL-17-stimulated culture than the medium culture, but in normal controls, only the IL-6 protein levels were significantly higher. The increase in IgG, anti-dsDNA and IL-6 protein levels induced by IL-17 was dose-dependent and could be completely blocked by IL-17 monoclonal antibody mIgG28 and partially blocked by dexamethasone. Similarly, IL-6 mRNA overexpression of PBMC in LN patients or normal controls induced by IL-17 was both dose- and time-dependent. During medium culture, IL-6 mRNA levels in LN patients were significantly higher than those in normal controls (1.80±0.11 vs 0.36±0.07). During stimulation with IL-17, IL-6 mRNA levels in LN patients were higher than those in normal controls (3.21±0.24 vs 1.30±0.14, P<0.05) and also significantly higher when comparing the stimulated culture with the medium culture either in LN patients or normal control.Conclusions IL-17 may play an important role in the pathogenesis of LN through the induction of IgG, anti-dsDNA overproduction and IL-6 overexpression of PBMC in LN patients.