In this study, the amounts of total RNA in
both sample groups as determined by spectrophotometric
analysis were similar, which reflected comparable
initial cell numbers in both groups before
RNA extraction was performed. In addition, the
real-time PCR technique used in this study compared
the relative gene expression of IL-17 and 18s rRNA
which is recommended as a standard normalization
of the target gene19. For these reasons, it is unlikely
that cell death is responsible for the lower IL-17 expression
in diabetic patients in the present study.
Moreover, the amounts of IL-23 mRNA expression
in the healthy and diabetic groups were similar, reflecting
a comparable amount of cells producing this
cytokine.