Relationship between Immunosuppressive Cells Treg,MDSCs and Clinicopathological Characteristics of Gastric Cancer / 胃肠病学

ABSTRACT

Background:The ability of tumor cells to evade destruction by immune system is known as tumor immune escape. Regulatory T cells( Treg cells)and myeloid-derived suppressor cells( MDSCs)are considered to be the most critical cell subsets participating in tumor immune escape. Aims:To determine the percentages of Treg cells and MDSCs in peripheral blood of patients with gastric cancer for investigating the effects of these two cell subsets on development and progression of gastric cancer. Methods:Peripheral blood specimens from 77 patients with gastric cancer and 20 healthy controls were collected for measurements of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Treg cells and MDSCs by flow cytometry. Correlations between Treg cells,MDSCs and clinicopathological characteristics of gastric cancer were analyzed. Results:Percentage of CD4+CD25+Foxp3 + Treg cells in peripheral blood CD4+ T cells and percentage of MDSCs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells were both significantly higher in gastric cancer patients than in healthy controls( Treg cells4. 72% ± 1. 01% vs. 1. 57% ± 0. 99%,P<0. 01;MDSCs21. 72% ± 10. 12% vs. 2. 90% ± 1. 80%,P<0. 01). Percentage of Treg cells in peripheral blood was correlated with the clinical stage,depth of invasion and lymph node metastasis of gastric cancer(P<0. 05), while percentage of MDSCs was correlated with the clinical stage of gastric cancer(P<0. 05). Furthermore,a significant positive correlation was observed between percentages of Treg cells and MDSCs in peripheral blood of gastric cancer patients ( rs =0. 681,P<0. 01). Conclusions:Gastric cancer patients are characterized by high expressions of immunosuppressive cells in peripheral blood,such as Treg cells and MDSCs,which might be related with the development and progression of gastric cancer via tumor immune escape.