Expression And Clinical Significance Of Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells In Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Objective: To detect the expression of myeloid derived suppressor cells in theperipheral blood, tumor tissues and paracarcinomatous tissues of HCC patients andinvestigate the relationship and clinical significance between MDSC expression andclinical data of HCC.We will evaluate its role in genesis and development of HCC.Methods: We have collected peripheral blood from HCC （n=20）, healthy controls（n=25） and non HCC chronic patients （n=15）, and detected the expression ofCD14⁺HLA-DR^-/lowcells from peripheral blood samples by flow cytometry. At the sametime we collected tumor tissues and paracarcinomatous tissues of HCC patients（n=20）,made them into tissue-derived mononuclear cells, and analysised the expression andclinical significance of MDSC in HCC. Comparison of the expressions of MDSC in PBMCfrom before and after hepatectomy for7days HCC patients，and analysis of tumor loadinfluence on the increased frequency of MDSC.Results: The frequency of CD14⁺HLA-DR^-/lowcells in peripheral blood mononuclearcells （PBMC） from HCC patients was significantly increased in comparison with healthycontrol and non HCC cirrhosis. The frequency of CD14⁺HLA-DR^-/lowcells in PBMC, HCCtissues and paracarcinomatous tissues from HCC was not related to sex, age, AFP andmacroscopic tumor thrombus（P＞0.05）, but was significantly correlated with the integrityof tumor capsule, tumor size and tumor number（P＜0.05）. The frequency of MDSC inHCC patients from high to low was: tumor tissue,peripheral blood, paracarcinomatoustissues,and the difference was statistically significant. The frequency ofCD14⁺HLA-DR^-/lowcells in PBMC from HCC patients after hepatectomy for7days wassignificantly lower than the preoperative（P＜0.05）.Conclusion: CD14⁺HLA-DR^-/lowcells are a new population of MDSC was significantly increased in blood,tumor and paracarcinomatous tissues of HCC patients.The increase of MDSC was significantly correlated with the integrity of tumor capsule,tumor size and tumor number.MDSC play a negative regulatory role in the immune ofHCC. And the targeting of MDSC may provide a promising approach for anti-cancertherapy.