Overexpression and Selectively Regulatory Roles of IL-23/IL-17 Axis in the Lesions of Oral Lichen Planus

Figure 6

Schematic model of IL-23/IL-17 axis involved in the pathogenesis of OLP. The whole process is divided into three steps: (1) keratinocytes in OLP lesion produce a large amount of IL-23 via an unknown mechanism; (2) keratinocyte-derived IL-23 may contribute to the accumulation of Th17 cells and the overproduction of IL-17 in the local lesion of OLP; (3) IL-17 reversely induces the keratinocytes to selectively produce various inflammatory mediators, which compose the complex immune network in the inflammatory environment of OLP lesions.