Objective To explore the expressions of regulatory T cell (Treg) and T helper cell 17 (Th17) during perioperative period of liver transplant (LT) in children of biliary atresia (BA).Methods Peripheral blood samples were harvested from children of surgical observation group at 1 week pre-LT,2 weeks and 4 weeks post-LT respectively.And recipients were followed up for ＞1 year post-LT and healthy controls were designated.The proportions of Treg and Th17 cells in peripheral blood pre-and post-LT were analyzed by flow cytometry.Results The proportions of CD4+ T lymphocytes at different time-points preand post-LT were higher in BA patients than those in healthy control group (P ＜ 0.05).The Treg proportion was higher during pre-LT period (4.04％ ±0.71％) than that at 2 weeks (4.04％ ±0.71％) and 1 month (2.16％ ±0.72％).No difference existed between 2 weeks and 1 month (P＞0.05).The Treg proportions were lower in pediatric receipients than those in health control group (5.06％ ± 1.33％,P＜ 0.05).And the Th17 proportions were higher at 2 weeks (1.43％ ± 0.45％) and 1 month (1.17％ ±0.47％) than those in health control group (0.76％ ± 0.30％,P＜0.05).However,no difference in Th17 proportion existed between pre-LT (1.09％ ± 0.46％) and health control group (P＞0.05).The Treg proportion in recipients at ＞1 year post-LT was higher than that during early post-LT period (P＜0.01).However,no inter-group difference existed in Th17 proportion (P＞0.05).Conclusions The proportion of Treg cells is lower at pre-LT in pediatric BA patients and there is a declining trend at 1 month post-LT.However,the proportion of Th17 cells is higher at pre-LT and it is rising during this period.This change is probably correlated with an immune imbalance and inflammatory response stimulated by a new graft post-LT.

Objective To study the expressions of regulatory T cell (Treg) and T helper cell 17 (Thl7) in post liver transplantation (LT) acute rejection in pediatric recipients diagnosed with biliary atresia.Methods 12 pediatric recipients with post-LT acute rejection in Tianjin First Center Hospital from July 2016 to April 2017 were included in the rejection group,and 22 patients with normal graft functions for more than 1 year post-LT were included in the stable group.The pre-LT primary disease in all the recipients was biliary atresia with cholestatic cirrhosis.Ten healthy children were included in the control group.Peripheral blood samples were taken before and at 1 week after anti-rejection treatment in the rejection group.Blood samples were taken during follow-up in the stable group and in the normal control.The proportions of Treg cell and Th17 cell were detected by flow cytometry.Results The proportions of Treg cells in the rejection group and the stable group were both significantly lower than the control group (P＜0.05).There was no significant difference between the rejection group and the stable group (P＞0.05).The proportion of Th17 cells in the rejection group was significantly higher than the stable group (P＜0.05) and the control group (P＜ 0.05),respectively;and the proportion in the stable group was significantly higher than the control group (P＜0.05).Meanwhile,there was also significant increase in the proportion of CD3+CD8+CD28+T in the rejection group (P＜0.05).After anti-rejection therapy,the proportions of Treg cell and Th17 cell became significantly lower than before therapy (P＜0.05).Conclusions The balance in Treg/Th17 cells occurred in the acute phase of rejection post-LT in pediatric recipients with biliary atresia,which persisted into the early period after anti-rejection therapy.