The potential therapeutic role of myeloid-derived suppressor cells in autoimmune arthritis.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this review is to evaluate the roles of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) in autoimmune arthritis.


METHODS
The terms "myeloid-derived suppressor cells," "regulatory T cell," "Th17 cell" and "autoimmune arthritis" were used for literature search from the PubMed. The publications about the characteristics of MDSC, the immunosuppression of MDSC, the role of MDSC in the regulation of Tregs and Th17 cells, and the potential clinical applications of MDSC against rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were identified, retrieved and reviewed.


RESULTS
MDSC are defined as a heterogeneous population of pathologically activated immature and mature myeloid cells consisting of granulocytic and monocytic subsets. Published data showed that the role of MDSC in Tregs and Th17 cells expansion were inconsistent. Given their role in suppressing T-cell responses, MDSC have been tested for their capability of preventing RA.


CONCLUSIONS
Although MDSC hold promise in the treatment of RA, their exact role in the expansion of Tregs and Th17 cells is unclear during RA. The definite effect of MDSC in RA therapy needs to be studied further.
Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Affiliated People׳s Hospital, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China; Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China.
Yungang
Y
Wang
Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China. Electronic address: tjj850913@163.com.
Jie
J
Tian
Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Affiliated People׳s Hospital, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China; Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China. Electronic address: sjwjs@ujs.edu.cn.
Shengjun
S
Wang
D001168:Arthritis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D000072737:Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology; D058504:Th17 Cells / Q000276:immunology
Autoimmune arthritis; Myeloid-derived suppressor cells; Regulatory T cells; T helper 17 cells