Expression Of CD4⁺CD25^+/highCD127^low Regulatory T Cells And TGF-β In Patients With Multiple Myeloma

AIM: The present study was designed to evaluate the changes and the clinical importance of CD4⁺CD25⁺/^highCD127^lowregulatory T cells,the level of TGF-βin peripheral blood of the patients with multiple myeloma in different stages and to analyze whether they have relations to investigate the mechanism of immunesuppression in MM and to provide a new way for MM immunotherapy.Methods: Firstly, The population of T lymphocyte subsets, NK cells CD4⁺CD25⁺/^highCD127^lowregulatory T cells in the peripheral blood of 50 MM patients and of 30 healthy donors was evaluated by flow cytometry. Used specific process to divide CD4⁺CD25⁺/^highCD127^lowT cells into CD4⁺CD25⁺CD127^low and CD4⁺CD25^highCD127^low and analyse the difference of Tregs between the two groups. Cells in the CD25+CD127low and CD25highCD127low gates had an identical level of CD127 expression but different levels of CD25 expression. Secondly, drowing off 2 mL peripheral blood by tubes, quiescing for 30 minutes,and centrifuging at 3000 r/min for 30 minutes to collect the serum,and used ELISA to test the level of TGF-βin blood serum. Finally, analysed the correlation between levels of CD4+CD25+ CD127low, CD4+ CD25highCD127lowT cells and TGF-β.Results: The population of CD3+, CD4+ T cells and the ratio of CD4/CD8 in MM were significantly lower than the average, and the population of CD8+ T cells was significantly higher. Furtherfore, the population of NK cells of the patients with MM was roughly the same with that of the average. MM patients had a higher proportion of CD4⁺CD25⁺/^highCD127^low T cells than the donners. The percentages of CD4⁺CD25⁺/^highCD127^low T cells in MM patients after chemotherapy were significantly higher than those who haven't gone through chemotherapy. Although the population of CD4⁺CD25⁺CD127^low T cells inâ… ^â…¡stage of MM was almost the same with that inâ…¢stages, the expression CD4⁺CD25^highCD127^lowT cells in the former one was higher. The proportion of CD4⁺CD25^highCD127^lowT cells in active stage after chemotherapy were statistically higher than those in stable stage,although there's no significant difference compared with that in active stage. The level of TGF-βin the patients with multiple myeloma was higher than healthy controls, but also, there's no significant difference between each group of MM patients . No significant correlation was found between levels of CD4⁺CD25⁺CD127^low, CD4⁺CD25^highCD127^lowT cells and TGF-β.Conclusion: The population of CD4⁺CD25⁺Tregs in peripheral blood of MM was significantly higher than that of healthy donors,which could be influented by chemotherapy and progression of disease. TGF-βmay not be revalent to its augments.