The Th17/Treg imbalance exists in patients with heart failure with normal ejection fraction and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction

BackgroundImmune activation and inflammation participate in the progression of chronic heart failure (CHF), and T helper (Th) lymphocytes play critical roles in it. Th17 cells and CD4⁺CD25⁺ regulatory T (Treg) cells both come from naive Th cells, share reciprocal development pathways but exhibit opposite effects, and the balance between them controls inflammation and autoimmune diseases. We hypothesized that the Th17/Treg balance was impaired in patients with CHF.MethodsTo assess our hypothesis, patients with CHF were divided into 2 groups: heart failure with normal ejection fraction (HFNEF) group and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFREF) group. Peripheral Th17 and Treg frequencies were analyzed by flow cytometry.ResultsPatients with HFNEF and HFREF both revealed significant increase in the frequencies of Th17 and obvious decrease in the frequencies of Treg compared with the controls.ConclusionThe results indicate that the Th17/Treg imbalance exists in patients with CHF, suggesting the imbalance potentially plays a role in the pathogenesis, and the Th17/Treg balance may be a promising therapeutic approach in patients with CHF.