Distribution Of Tc17Cells And Correlation With Th17Cells In Endometrium Cancer

Objective:Tc17cell is a novel subset of IL-17-secreting CD8+T cells and been approve to describe a distinct phenotype and differ from Tc1and Tc2. However, it has a lot of similarities with Thl7cell in secretion and differentiation. The frequency of Tc17cell has been proved to involve in immune-associated diseases, immunodeficiency virus infection and acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD) as well as nasopharyngeal carcinoma. In this study we suppose to research the distribution of Tc17cells in PBMCs and TILs and the expression of IL-17in serum of patients with EC, and probe into the probable role of Tc17cells in antitumor immunity, which may offer evidence to immunotherapy of EC.Methods:We examined the expression of IL-17in Endometrium cancer (EC) patients and healthy controls by flow cytometry (Interleukin (IL)-17-producing CD8+cells as Th17cells and IL-17-producing CD4+cells as Tc17cells). The results were expressed as a percentage of Tc17cells in the total CD3+cells. And we evaluated the expression of IL-17in tumor tissues (CD8+IL-17+cells as Tc17cells). In order to compare the percentage of Tc17cells in peripheral blood with that of Tc17cells in tumor tissues, we also analyse the present of Tc17cells in the total CD8+cells. Besides, we examined the expression of IL-17in serum of EC patients and healthy controls.Results:Compared with healthy controls, the frequency of Tc17cells or Th17cells are significantly elevated in endometrium carcinoma patients (Tc17cells PEC=0.4892%±0.2566%, Pcontrols=0.2758%±0.1473%, P<0.01; Th17cells:PEC==2.156±0.893, Pcontrols=1.165±0.372, P<0.001), but both are not related to Clinical pathology index. There are positive relation between Tc17cells and Th17cells in PB (r=0.3740, P=0.0226). Additionally, the ratio of Tc17cells in tumor tissues of EC significant rise (EC:36.42±10.64Tc17cells/HP; controls:2.46±0.99cells/HP, P<0.001). In addition, there are no significant differences regarding interleukin-17between EC patients and healthy controls (P>0.05).Conclusions:In this study, an abnormal distribution of Te17cells in both PB and tumor tissues of EC patients were founded and it has a positive relation with that of Thl7cells in PB. All these authenticate that Te17cells are involved in the antitumor immunity and development of endometrium carcinoma, which may offer evidence to a probability of immunotherapy.