Serum Levels of IL-17 and IL-23 in Patients With Rheumatic Mitral Stenosis

Rheumatic mitral valve stenosis (RMS) is a complication of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) and leads to significant morbidity and mortality. RHD is a chronic inflammatory and autoimmune disease that is associated with cytokine activities. The etiology of RMS is not fully understood yet. Interleukin (IL)-17 and IL-23 have a key role in development of the autoimmunity. The expression of these cytokines in RMS remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the serum levels of IL-17 and IL-23 in RMS patients compared to healthy subjects.A total of 35 patients admitted to cardiology outpatient clinic between December 2014 and May 2015 who were diagnosed with RMS formed the study group. Age- and gender-matched 35 healthy subjects were included as the control group. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 18.0 and P value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant.The patients with RMS had higher WBC count, hsCRP, systolic pulmonary artery pressure (PAPs), left atrial diameter (LAD), IL-17, and IL-23 levels compared to the control subjects. The levels of IL-17 (P = 0.012) and IL-23 (P = 0.004) were significantly higher in the RMS group. Correlation analysis revealed that IL-17 and IL-23 levels had a significant correlation with each other and with hsCRP and LAD.We demonstrated that serum levels of IL-17 and IL-23 are significantly higher in patients with RMS compared to those of healthy subjects. IL-17 and IL-23 expression may have a possible role in inflammatory processes that result in RMS development.