基于microRNAs调控Th17细胞研究补气健脾法对自身免疫性甲状腺炎的干预机制

自身免疫性甲状腺炎（AIT）是常见的自身免疫疑难疾病，主要与遗传、环境、免疫因素相关；中医学认为脾气虚是该病“因虚生瘿”的重要病机，补气健脾法是“益气消瘿”的根本大法，临床疗效确切。前期研究显示Th17细胞是AIT的重要环节，资料显示microRNA对AIT及免疫细胞具有调控作用，其中miR-155、miR-125a-3p均可调控Th17细胞，因此我们假设“基于中医补气健脾法则的补中益气汤可通过干预miR-155、miR-125a-3p调控Th17细胞从而有效改善因免疫失常而导致的AIT”。为证实该假说，我们拟制备AIT小鼠动物模型和体外诱导Th17细胞模型，应用多种分子生物学技术，从整体-器官-细胞-分子水平证明我们的假说，此研究将从表观遗传学角度进一步揭示AIT发病机制，阐明补气健脾法防治AIT的效应靶点，为揭示脾气虚是“因虚生瘿”的本质，为丰富AIT治法理论提供新思路。

As the most common and intractable autoimmune disease, autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT) is mainly related to genetic, environmental and immune factors, while the deficiency of spleen-qi is regarded as the most important pathogenesis in Chinese Medicine. The method of tonifying spleen-qi has long been proved effective clinically in treatement of AIT. Th17 cells have been identified to play a crucial role in AIT mice by our previous studies, and certain microRNAs take a role in regulating AIT and the immune cells, for example, miR-155 and miR-125a-3p could regulate the Th17 cells, respectively. Thus, we assume that Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang, an oriental herbal formula base on the TCM theory of tonifying spleen-qi, could ameliorate immune injury of AIT by regulating the expressions of miR-155 and miR-125a-3p on the Th17 cells. Then, the models of the AIT mice and induced Th17 cells in vitro, along with various molecular biology techniques will be applied to verify the hypothesis from the whole-organ-cell-molecule levels. Certainly, this study makes sense to reveal the further pathogenesis of AIT and clarify the target effect of tonifying spleen-qi method, which will provide new insights and ideas for the TCM theory of the essence and therapeutic method of AIT.