The goal of this study was to analyze the role of aryl hydrocarbon receptor in peripheral blood CCR6
Flow cytometry was applied to determine the proportion of AhR positive cells in CCR6
The percentage of AhR positive cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells was higher in RA group than that in healthy cases [(35.23±10.71)% vs. (18.83±7.32)%, p<0.01]. The expression levels of AhR and CYP1A1 were both increased in patients with RA while compared to controls [(3.71±1.63) vs. (2.00±1.27), p=0.002; (2.62±2.08) vs. (0.62±0.29), p<0.01, respectively]. In RA patients, the percentage of AhR positive cells in CD4
AhR may participate in the pathological progress of RA by controlling the differentiation of Th17 and Treg cells in peripheral blood.