title: Increased frequencies of Th17 in the peripheral blood of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia: A one year follow-up.
abstract: Objective : In this study, we aimed to investigate changes of peripheral Th17 and Treg cells frequencies in the newly-diagnosed Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) patients for 12 months. Methods : In this research, 50 CLL patients were enrolled. Circulating Th1, Th17 cells and CD4+CD25+Foxp3+Treg cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. Plasma levels of related cytokines were detected by enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA). The study was carried out from January 2012 to October 2013 at Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P.R. China.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with healthy controls, Th17 cells related cytokines were significantly increased in CLL patients, while Treg cells related cytokines were significantly lowered. In the follow-up, we found that the frequency of Treg cells was irregular, while the frequency of Th17 cells was gradually decreased.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study suggested that Th17 cells may play important role in the immune regulation of CLL, and may become a new target in CLL therapy.
authors.affiliation: Dijiao Tang, Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Dijiao
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Qian Niu, Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.affiliation: Nenggang Jiang, Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Nenggang
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: Jingjing Li, Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Jingjing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Qin Zheng, Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Qin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Yongqian Jia, Department of Hematology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P. R. China. Department of Laboratory Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Yongqian
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jia
keywords: CLL; Follow-up; Th17 cells; Treg cells