Tehran University of Medical Sciences Iranian Journal of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology 1735-1502 17 4 2018 08 12 298 307 EN Afsoon Afshari Shiraz Transplant Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran AND Department of Molecular Genetics, Science and Research, Islamic Azad University, Shiraz, Iran Ramin Yaghobi Shiraz Transplant Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran Negar Azarpira Shiraz Transplant Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran Bita Gerami Zadeh Shiraz Transplant Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran Seyed Ali Malek Hosseini Shiraz Transplant Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran Mojtaba Darbouy Department of Molecular Genetics, Science and Research, Islamic Azad University, Fars, Iran Mohammad Hossein Karimi Shiraz Transplant Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran 2017 08 29 2017 12 30 Cytokines have prominent roles in activating of different T cells and shifting the immune response, in this study the role of three cytokines (IL-21, IL-23 and IL-27) is investigated in the liver transplant rejection. Three EDTA-treated blood samples were collected from each liver transplanted patient in 1st, 4th and 7th day of post-transplantation. The expression level of the mentioned cytokines was determined using real-time PCR for all samples. Also, the serum levels of cytokines were determined using ELISA tests. In acute rejection (AR) group (51 patients), mRNA expression pattern of IL-21and IL-23 showed a steady increase, but this pattern was converse for IL-27. Our results in non-acute rejection (non-AR) group (54 patients) showed an elevation in day 4 and then a decrease in day 7 for IL-21 and IL-23 genes. This pattern was converse again for IL-27 gene. In comparison between the two groups, in all 3 sampling times the mean of mRNA expression level of IL-21 and IL-23, showed an increase in AR group which this increase was significant for IL-21 in the 3rd (p=0.007) and for IL-23 in 2nd (p=0.048) and 3rd (p=0.049) sampling time, but the pattern of mRNA expression for IL-27 was contrary to the results of IL-21 and IL-23. Furthermore, ELISA technique also, showed the serum level changes the same as cytokines. In this study IL-21 and IL-23 showed pro-inflammatory properties in the liver transplant rejected patients. Also, IL-27 having different expression pattern, showed anti-inflammatory behavior which needs more considerations in future.   https://ijaai.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijaai/article/view/1628 https://ijaai.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijaai/article/download/1628/849