Elevated Th17 cells are associated with cardiovascular complications in ankylosing spondylitis

OBJECTIVEPatients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) carry an increased burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), but features denoting the development of CVD in AS are unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the percentage and absolute number of lymphocytes and CD4+T cells in AS patients complicated with CVD (AS-CVD) and determine whether circulating T helper 17 (Th17) cells are associated with the development of CVD in AS. METHODA total of 117 AS patients (46 had CVD and 71 had no CVD) were enrolled in this retrospective study. The percentage and absolute number of lymphocytes and CD4+T cells were determined by flow cytometry. Associations between CVD and clinical markers were analysed using logistic regression. RESULTSThe ratio of Th17/Treg cells (0.30 vs 0.19, P = 0.014) and the absolute number of Th17 cells (7.27 cells/μL vs 4.34 cells/μL, P