Table 1.
Individual distal colonic gene expression of key T helper type 17 (Th17) system-associated genes 3 days post-appendicitis–appendectomy (AA) and 28 days post-AA
| 3 days post-AA | 28 days post-AA | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Th17 system gene | Function of gene-product (Th17 system-related) | Selected references | Fold-change | P-value | Fold-change | P-value |
| Recruitment factors for Th17 cells | ||||||
| CCR6 | ↑ on Th17 cells, IBD association | [27,29] | – | – | 0·85 | 0·145 |
| CCL20 | ↑ on inflamed gut mucosa, CCR6-ligand, IBD association | [26,30] | 0·60‡ | 0·028* | 0·634‡ | 0·023* |
| Transcription factors involved in Th17 cell development | ||||||
| RORC | ↑ Th17 responses via IL-17A and IL-17F, IBD association | [11] | 0·93 | 0·443 | 1·24‡ | 0·037* |
| STAT1 | ↓ Th17 responses | [28] | 1·41† | 0·279 | 1·47† | 0·004* |
| STAT2 | ? | – | 1·58† | 0·053 | 1·34† | 0·065 |
| STAT3 | ↑ Th17 responses via IL-17 and RORC, IBD association | [27,31] | 1·07 | 0·251 | 0·98 | 0·804 |
| Differentiation factors involved in Th17 cell development | ||||||
| TGF-β1 | ↑ Th17 differentiation | [32] | 1·11 | 0·383 | 0·89 | 0·328 |
| TGF-β2 | ↑ Th17 differentiation | [32] | 1·23† | 0·002* | 0·98 | 0·768 |
| TGF-β3 | ↑ Th17 differentiation | [32] | 1·40† | 0·026* | 0·86 | 0·212 |
| IL-6 | ↑ Th17 differentiation | [32] | 1·21† | 0·494 | 1·00 | 0·942 |
| IL-21 | ↑ Th17 differentiation | [33] | – | – | 0·95 | 0·462 |
| Growth and stabilization for Th17 cell development | ||||||
| IL-23A | ↑ Pathogenic potential of Th17 cells | [17] | 0·97 | 0·686 | 1·00 | 0·876 |
| IL-23R | ↑ Pathology via IL-23, IBD association | [27,34] | – | – | 1·12 | 0·385 |
| Effector cytokines expressed by Th17 cells | ||||||
| IL-17A | ↑ Pathology | [11] | 1·11 | 0·280 | 1·03 | 0·617 |
| IL-17B | ? | – | – | – | 1·06 | 0·356 |
| IL-17C | ? | – | – | – | 1·12 | 0·282 |
| IL-17D | ? | – | 1·14 | 0·419 | 1·09 | 0·298 |
| IL-17F | ↑ Pathology | [11] | 0·89 | 0·114 | 1·02 | 0·778 |
| IL-22 | ↓ Pathology via ↑ gut barrier integrity | [16] | – | – | 1·08 | 0·265 |
The Th17 recruitment factor gene CCL20 was suppressed significantly at both 3 days post-AA and 28 days post-AA. The Th17 cell development transcription factor genes RORC and STAT1 were up-regulated significantly only at 28 days post-AA, but not at 3 days post-AA. The Th17 cell development differentiation factor genes TGF-β1 and TGF-β2 were up-regulated significantly only 3 days post-AA but not later at 28 days post-AA. However, none of the Th17 system growth/stabilization factors or the effector Th17 system interleukins was modulated at either time-point. SS group: sham and sham group; AA group: appendicitis and appendectomy group. The 3 days post-AA study used four AA mice versus four SS mice. The 3 days post-AA study involved three AA mice versus three SS mice.
P-value < 0·05;
fold-change > 1·2;
fold-change < 0·7.