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. 2022 Aug 25;2022:3096528. doi: 10.1155/2022/3096528

Figure 8.

Figure 8

Effects of DHT, E2, and DHT/E2 on differentiation and expression of Th2/Th17 cells (IL4/IL17) under MBD2 silencing or OE in BECs severe asthma model. After the transfection of BECs, the addition of HDM, LPS, DHT, E2, and DHT/E2 in the designated groups and coculture with CD4+ T cells, flow cytometric analysis was performed to detect Th2/Th17 cells and ELISA for IL-4/IL-17 concentration from culture supernatant. (a) Th2/Th17 cells detection under silencing and OE of MBD2 and with DHT, E2, and DHT/E2 influence. Severe asthma was mediated by Th17 cells. OE-MBD2 was associated with an increase in Th17 cells, while silencing decreased Th17 cells almost below the severe asthma level. The addition of androgen in severe asthma (severe asthma+ DHT) decreased the differentiation of the Th17 cells, and OE-MBD2 was associated with increased Th17 cells differentiation, while MBD2 silencing automatically reduced the differentiation at a much lower level as compared with silencing without DHT in severe asthma showing Th17 cells differentiation was MBD2 mediated and DHT decreased Th17 cells differentiation of severe asthma via regulating MBD2. Estrogen was associated with higher Th17 cells differentiation in severe asthma+E2 and MBD2-OE+E2 resulted in much higher Th17 cells differentiation as compared to OE in severe asthma without E2 (OE-MBD2), while the silencing, as usual, was associated with decreased differentiation of Th17 cells just near or below the severe asthma level showing the potential role of E2 in severe asthma. The addition of DHT/E2 in severe asthma+ DHT/E2 decreased Th17 cells, but the decrease was not to that level of DHT alone. Thus, androgen (severe asthma+ DHT) alone showed the most potent effect in decreasing Th17 cells in severe asthma via MBD2. (b, c) % of Th2 and Th17 positive cells under MBD2 silencing or OE with the influence of DHT, E2, and DHT/E2 in different groups of severe asthma. (d) ELISA measurement of IL-4 and IL-17 concentration under MBD2 silencing or OE with the influence of DHT, E2, and DHT/E2 in different groups of severe asthma also correlated with flow cytometry results. #Severe asthma vs severe asthma+ DHT, severe asthma+E2, and severe asthma+ DHT/E2 and & severe asthma+ DHT vs severe asthma+ DHT/E2. (∗p < 0.05, #p < 0.05, &p < 0.05; ns: not significant).