Research Article
The Role of T Helper 17 (Th17) and Regulatory T Cells (Treg) in the Pathogenesis of Vulvovaginal Candidiasis among HIV-Infected Women
Table 5
Comparisons of cervicovaginal secretions’ mean levels (in pg/ml) of cytokine distribution across the study groups.
| | Study group | HIV− and VVC− mean ± SEM< | HIV− and VVC+ mean ± SEM | HIV+ and VVC− mean ± SEM | HIV+ and VVC+ mean ± SEM | ANOVA p value |
| Cytokine types | Cytokine limit of detection (pg/mL) | Proinflammatory | G-CSF | 1.7 | 3.82 ± 1.3 | 14.075 ± 3.42 | 0.85 ± 0.00 | 21.894 ± 5.62 | 0.002 | GM-CSF | 2.2 | 42.24 ± 2.55 | 57.81 ± 3.59 | 42.34 ± 0.001 | 57.98 ± 5.34 | 0.007 | IFN-γ | 6.4 | 7.148 ± 3.63 | 29.206 ± 8.62 | 3.91 ± 0.001 | 55.62 ± 20.035 | 0.037 | IL-2 | 1.6 | 0.8 ± 0.00 | 4.795 ± 1.81 | 0.80 ± 0.00 | 6.77 ± 2.12 | 0.022 | IL-8 | 1 | 26.486 ± 8.156 | 494.55 ± 148.95 | 10.84 ± 0.001 | 320.67 ± 97.65 | 0.004 | TNF-α | 6 | 13.106 ± 6.48 | 44.079 ± 10.04 | 14.07 ± 0.001 | 56.32 ± 11.09 | 0.003 | MCP-1 | 1.1 | 2.35 ± 0.34 | 8.03 ± 2.23 | 2.32 ± 0.001 | 13.21 ± 4.27 | 0.037 | IL-1β | 0.6 | 127.61 ± 59.79 | 1975.77 ± 779.89 | 143.11 ± 0.001 | 2181.43 ± 803.23 | 0.001∗∗ | IL-7 | 1.1 | 0.55 ± 0.00 | 0.963 ± 0.31 | 0.57 ± 0.00 | 1.076 ± 0.3 | 0.012 | MIP-1β | 2.4 | 8.86 ± 2.39 | 12.23 ± 3.43 | 8.13 ± 0.001 | 16.67 ± 3.95 | 0.235 | IL-12 | 3.5 | 1.916 ± 0.58 | 3.127 ± 0.71 | 1.75 ± 0.00 | 4.15 ± 0.82 | 0.001 | IL-17 | 3.3 | 5.799 ± 2.27 | 19.003 ± 4.34 | 1.95 ± 0.001 | 20.53 ± 4.33 | 0.002 | IL-6 | 2.6 | 1.911 ± 0.548 | 5.582 ± 1.35 | 1.38 ± 0.001 | 11.583 ± 3.74 | 0.017 |
| Anti-inflammatory | IL-4 | 0.7 | 0.59 ± 0.18 | 2.062 ± 0.44 | 0.62 ± 0.001 | 2.27 ± 0.46 | 0.003 | IL-5 | 0.6 | 0.257 ± 0.09 | 0.394 ± 0.057 | 0.30 ± 0.00 | 0.524 ± 0.08 | 0.004 | IL-13 | 0.7 | 0.83 ± 0.22 | 1.56 ± 0.22 | 0.47 ± 0.001 | 1.78 ± 0.26 | <0.0001 | TGF-β1 | 1.7 | 4.72 ± 1.92 | 4.16 ± 1.6 | 6.88 ± 0.001 | 1.588 ± 1.09 | 0.0024∗∗ | TGF-β2 | 14.7 | 13.034 ± 1.16 | 11.96 ± 1.21 | 8.39 ± 0.001 | 12.52 ± 2.09 | 0.012∗∗ | TGF-β3 | 2.8 | 2.51 ± 0.44 | 8.56 ± 6.003 | 1.42 ± 0.001 | 2.32 ± 0.25 | 0.001∗∗ | IL-10 | 0.3 | 0.902 ± 0.078 | 0.978 ± 0.09 | 0.9 ± 0.001 | 1.249 ± 0.17 | 0.135 |
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SEM: standard error of the mean (in pg/ml). VVC+: presence of vulvovaginal candidiasis infection; VVC−: absence of vulvovaginal candidiasis infection; HIV: human immunodeficiency virus; IL = interleukin; MIP = macrophage inflammatory protein; TGF: transforming growth factor; IFN = interferon; G-CSF = granulocyte colony-stimulating factor; GM-CSF = granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor. Kruskal–Wallis nonparametric tests. |