Analysis of peripheral blood T-cell subsets and regulatory T-cells in multiple myeloma patients

• Published in: Cellular and Molecular Biology Vol. 64; no. 5; pp. 113 - 117
• Main Authors: Huang, Lai-Quan, Wang, Jian-Xin, He, Kun, Jiang, Yi-Zhi, Wei, Zhong-Ling, Huang, Dong-Ping, Chu, Li-Li
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: France 30.04.2018
• Subjects: Aged; Antigens, CD - genetics; Antigens, CD - immunology; Case-Control Studies; Cell Proliferation; Disease Progression; Female; Flow Cytometry; Gene Expression; Humans; Immunity, Innate; Immunophenotyping; Male; Middle Aged; Multiple Myeloma - genetics; Multiple Myeloma - immunology; Multiple Myeloma - pathology; Neoplasm Staging; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic - immunology; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic - pathology; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer - immunology; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer - pathology; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory - immunology; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory - pathology; Flow cytometry; Regulatory T cells; T cell subsets; Multiple myeloma
• ISSN: 0145-5680; 1165-158X
• DOI: 10.14715/cmb/2018.64.5.19

To study the peripheral blood T-cell subsets and regulatory T-cells of multiple myeloma (MM) patients. 48 MM patients and 24 healthy controls were enrolled. Changes in peripheral blood T-cell subsets in the MM patients i.e. CD4+CD25+T cells and CD4+CD25+CD127lowT regulatory cells (CD4+CD25+CD127lowTregs) and in healthy controls were measured using flow cytometry and immunohischemistry. The total T-cells (CD3+) in peripheral blood lymphocyte and auxiliary/induced T-cells (CD3+CD4+ T cell) of the 48 MM patients showed no statistical significance when compared with those of the control group. Suppressor/cytotoxicity T-cells (CD3+CD8+ T cell) increased (p < 0.05). CD4+CD25+T cells and CD4+CD25+CD127low Tregs were significantly higher than corresponding values in the healthy group (p < 0.05). The CD4+/CD8+ T cell ratio of Stage III MM patients was significantly lower than that of the control group (p < 0.05). The CD4+CD25+T cells and CD4+CD25+CD127low Tregs of MM patients in the stable and the progressive stages  were significantly higher than those of MM patients in the control group (p < 0.05). The abnormality of the peripheral blood T-cell subset, increased expression of CD4+CD25+CD127low Tregs, and low cellular immunity of MM patients are related to clinical staging and progression of the disease. The quantity of CD4+CD25+CD127lowTregs of peripheral blood cells of MM patients could be significantly increased through the inhibition of CD4+ and CD8+T cell activities. CD4+CD25+CD127low Tregs promotes tumor growth through the inhibition of immunologic cell proliferation. Immunological dysfunction based on Tregs cells plays an important role in the pathogenic course.