Tissue and circulating levels of IL-17A and FoxP3+ in patients with scabies: Correlation with clinical features

Abstract

The scabies mite is known to induce a complicated immune response that involves both innate and long-term adaptive immunity. Many immune effectors and pathways are involved. Th17/Treg balance can influence the complex immune response to scabies. The immunological effectors including IL-17A, as a pro-inflammatory cytokine, and Treg cells, anti-inflammatory regulatory T cells, are essential for preserving cutaneous immunological homeostasis. So, evaluating these immune effectors may help in comprehending the pathophysiology of scabies and facilitate the development of new treatment approaches. This study examined the expression of IL-17A and FoxP3⁺ in the skin and serum of 50 scabies patients and 25 healthy controls. An assessment of their correlation with clinical features was performed. Regarding tissue response, scabietic patients exhibited a significant increase in IL-17A and FoxP3⁺ expression in their epidermis and dermis compared to controls (P<0.001), but the correlation between these factors was not significant in either area (P>0.05). Also, patients showed a significant increase in serum IL-17A levels compared to controls (P<0.001), with a significant association between serum IL-17A levels and lesion severity, but no significant correlation was observed between skin and serum responses (P>0.05). In conclusion, there was increased expression of both IL-17A and FoxP3⁺, with FoxP3⁺ being significantly more abundant than IL^-17A in the skin of scabies patients. Skin FoxP3⁺ up-regulation has been linked to the severity of the condition.