[Treatment of BCG polysaccharide nucleic acid combined with CO2 laser reduces Th17 cells and their related cytokines in cutaneous lesion of vitiligo patients].

OBJECTIVE

To explore clinical effect of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin polysaccharide nucleic acid (BCG PSN) combined with CO(2) laser for vitiligo and its impact on Th17 cells and Th17 associated cytokines in patients with vitiligo.

METHODS

The patients (n=102) with vitiligo from June 2011 to October 2013 in our hospital were randomly divided into control group (n=51) and observation group (n=51). Patients in the control group were treated with CO(2) laser. Patients in the observation group were treated with BCG PSN besides CO(2) laser. The total treatment efficacy in the two groups was appraised. Th17 cell populations in peripheral blood were analyzed by flow cytometry. IL-17 and IL-23 levels in peripheral blood were determined by ELISA. The expressions of IL-17 and IL-23 mRNA in cutaneous lesion tissues were detected by real-time quantitative PCR.

RESULTS

Total treatment efficacy in the observation group was significantly better than that of the control group. Compared with the control group after treatment, Th17 lymphocyte subsets in the observation group after treatment were significantly reduced in peripheral blood, the levels of serum IL-17 and IL-23 in the peripheral blood significantly dropped, and the expressions of IL-17 and IL-23 mRNA in cutaneous lesion tissues also decreased significantly.

CONCLUSION

BCG PSN combined with CO(2) laser can down-regulate Th17 lymphocyte subsets and Th17 associated cytokines in peripheral blood and cutaneous lesion. It has a good clinical efficacy for treating vitiligo.