Th17 Cells

The exact mechanism by which Th17 cells become overactivated is not fully understood. When Th17 cells malfunction, bacteria cross the intestinal barrier into the body, causing chronic infection and widespread inflammation. TH17 cells can either protect against or drive autoimmune disease depending entirely on the cellular environment. The cellular environment that determines TH17 behavior is shaped by epigenetics, including nutrition, stress hormones, gut health, and viral signals. T helper cell 17 is always implicated in autoimmune conditions and sits at the center of all autoimmune diseases. Two people can carry EBV and have identical genes yet one develops autoimmune disease and the other does not, because the difference lies in the environment that determines how TH17 cells behave. Microbial infection can trigger Th17 overactivation. Th17 cells normally maintain intestinal barrier integrity, keeping microbes from entering the body's interior. Th17 cells support central tolerance, helping the immune system distinguish self from non-self.