The Expression Of Regulatory T Cells In Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells From Patients With Multiple Myeloma And Its Potential Clinical Significance

ObjectiveTo investigate the changes of the CD4+CD25+T cells, CD4+Foxp3+T cells, and CD4+CD25+Foxp3+T cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with multiple myeloma and its potential clinical significance.MethodsFlow cytometry was used to analyze the proportion of CD4+CD25+ T cells,CD4+Foxp3+T cells,CD4+CD25+Foxp3+T cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 22 patients with multiple myeloma and 8 healthy controls .The level of ESR, Hb, β -2-mg, albumin of the patients were detected at the same time.ResultsThe percentage of CD4+CD25+T cells, CD4+Foxp3+T cells , andCD4+CD25+Foxp3+T cells in MM patients were (6.9727±3.9504) % , (4.7577±2.7961) % , (2.0791±1.6562) % , in which the percentage of CD4+CD25+T cells ,CD4+CD25+Foxp3+T cells in MM patients were higher than that in normal control group (4.4563±1.2695) % (p<0.05) , (1.2037±0.1636) % (p<0.05) .Phenotypic studies demonstrated increased frequency of CD4+CD25+T cells, CD4+Foxp3+T cells, and CD4+CD25+Foxp3+T cells in peripheral blood of the patients with chemotherapy [(8.4443±4.1768) %, (5.8157±2.9839) %, (2.6786±1.8110) %] compared with the first diagnosed MM patients[(4.3975±1.5835)%(p<0.01), (2.9063±0.8732)%(p<0.01), (1.0300±0.4024) % (p<0.01)] and the normal control group[ (4.4563± 1.2695) % (p<0.01) , (3.6138±0.2555 X p<0.05),(1.2037±0.1636)%(p<0.01)],but there was no diference between first diagnosed MM patients and the normal control group. CD4+Foxp3+T cells expression were specifically identified in CD4+CD25+T cells(r=0.665, P<0.01). The expression of CD4+Foxp3+T cells was positively associated with Hb , while the expression of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+T cells was positively associated with Hb and albumin and negatively associated with ESR. The percentage of CD4+CD25+T cells, CD4+Foxp3+T cells and CD4+CD25+Foxp3+T cells in the patients whose Hb were higher than 9 gram per deciliter were(7.9237±4.1434)%, (5.6181±2.7919)%, (2.556±1.7073)% , which were higher than that in normal control group (4. 4563 ± 1.2695)% (p<0.01), (3.6138 ± 1.2553)% (p<0.05), (1.2037 ± 0.1638)% (p<0. 01) ; The percentage of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+T cells in the patients whose Hb were lower than 9 gram per deciliter was (0.8083±0.3345)% , lower than that in the normal control group. There was no difference of the expression of CD4+CD25+T cells, CD4+Foxp3+T cells, and CD4+CD25+Foxp3+T cells between the patients with IgG and IgA. Other subgroups were too few to statistics.ConclusionThe abnormality of the regulatory T cells may play an important role in the development of multiple myeloma. Chemotherapeutics may affect the expression of the regulatory T cells .