Fig. 4

The relationship between “Yin-Yang” theory and the role IL-17-producing Treg and IL-10-producing Th17 differentiation during disease progression. Under inflammatory and autoimmune state, overexpression of immune-activation factors, coupled with a relative insufficiency of immunosuppressive factors can be signified as an excess of Yang over Yin. In tumor and immunodeficiency diseases, immunosuppressive factors surpass immune activation counterparts, indicating a dominance of Yin over Yang. During the transformation process from colitis to cancer, where there is an initial state of immune overreaction (Yang), dominated by Th17 cells during colitis, followed by a later immunosuppressive state (Yin) in colon tumors, where Tregs prevail. The yin-yang attributes of IL-17-producing Treg and IL-10-producing Th17 may offer a better understanding of the transition from immune hyperactivity to immunosuppression