Mature dendritic cells cause Th17/Treg imbalance by secreting TGF-β1 and IL-6 in the pathogenesis of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is generally acknowledged to be an autoimmune disease, but its etiology remains unknown. The most intensively studied animal model of MS is experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Dendritic cells (DCs), the professional antigen presenting cells (APCs), have gained increasing attention because they connect innate and adaptive immunity. The aim of this study was to determine the role of mature DCs in the pathogenesis of EAE. It was found that the number of mature DCs in the EAE spleen increased compared to the control group (p < 0.05). And there was an imbalance between Th17 (effector) and Treg (regulatory) in EAE. The data showed that mature DCs can regulate the differentiation of Th17 and Treg in EAE. In addition, there was a significant difference in secretion of TGF-β1 and IL-6 between mature DCs from mice with EAE and controls. The present data suggest that mature DCs cause an imbalance between Th17 and Treg by secreting TGF-β1 and IL-6 in the pathogenesis of EAE disease. Thus, targeting DC may be an effective strategy for treating MS.