Th17/Treg balance and factors related to autoimmune hepatitis

Abstract Background Although Th17 cells and regulatory T cells play critical roles in autoimmune hepatitis, the balance between them in acute and chronic immune hepatitis is not well‐studied. The objective of this study was to explore the role of Th17/Treg balance in autoimmune hepatitis. Methods Thirty female Wistar rats were randomly divided into the following three groups: acute model (AC), chronic model (CC), and healthy control (HC). Aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and bilirubin levels were measured. Peripheral blood interleukin (IL)‐17, IL‐6, IL‐10, and transforming growth factor‐β cytokine levels were also assessed. Flow cytometry was used to detect changes in the Th17 cell and Treg cell frequency, and the Th17/Treg ratio was calculated. Results The frequency of Th17 cells and Treg cells were both increased (p