title: Downregulation of IL-17-producing T cells is associated with regulatory T cell expansion and disease progression in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
abstract: Little is known about the immunobiology of interleukin-17 (IL-17)-producing T cells and regulatory T cells (Treg) in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). In this study, the frequencies of Th17, Tc17, and CD39(+) Treg cells were enumerated in peripheral T cells isolated from 40 CLL patients and 15 normal subjects by flow cytometry. Our results showed a lower frequency of Th17 and Tc17 cells in progressive (0.99 ± 0.12 % of total CD3(+)CD4(+) cells; 0.44 ± 0.09 % of total CD8(+) cells) compared to indolent patients (1.57 ± 0.24 %, p = 0.042; 0.82 ± 0.2 %, p = 0.09) and normal subjects (1.78 ± 0.2 %, p = 0.003; 0.71 ± 0.09 %, p = 0.04). Decrease in IL-17-producing T cells was associated with CD39(+) Treg cells expansion. Variation of IL-17-producing cells and Treg cells in indolent and progressive patients was neither associated to the expression levels of Th1- and Th2-specific transcription factors T-bet and GATA-3 nor to the frequencies of IFN-γ and IL-4-producing CD4(+) T cells in a selected number of samples. Additionally, suppressive potential of CD4(+) Treg was similar in CLL patients and normal subjects. Our data indicate that progression of CLL is associated with downregulation of IL-17-producing T cells and expansion of Treg cells, implying contribution of these subsets of T cells in the progression of CLL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 14155, Iran.
authors.forename: Farhad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jadidi-Niaragh
authors.forename: Ghasem
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ghalamfarsa
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Memarian
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Asgarian-Omran
authors.forename: Seyed Mohsen
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Razavi
authors.forename: Abdolfattah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sarrafnejad
authors.forename: Fazel
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shokri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D018450:Disease Progression; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D020381:Interleukin-17 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012756:Sheep; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D020381:Interleukin-17; D012333:RNA, Messenger