Distribution And Clinical Significance Of Th17 Cells In Colorectal Cancer Patients

Objective: To investigate the expression levels of Th17 cells and the related cytokines in tumor tissues and the peripheral blood of colorectal cancer patients, analysis there relationship with the clinical significance,and discussed the relationship with the tumor occurrence and development and its possible mechanism.Method:A group of 30 patients and 15 healthy controls were included in the study. The colorectal cancer patients were divided into two groups based on disease progression: those with early disease(n=12) according to the p TNM stage and those with advanced disease(n=18). The frequencies of Thl7 cells as a percentage of total CD4+T cells in the peripheral blood of colorectal cancer patients were evaluated by the flow cytometry. Fluorescence quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction polymerase chain reaction PCR was used to detect the expression levels of Th17cells-related cytokines(IL-17 A, IL-17 F and IL-23) and The quantitative determination of Th17 cells-related cytokines(IL-23, IL-17) serum levels were performed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).The potential associations between them with the clinicopathological characteristics were analyzed.Results:1. Flow cytometry analysis results showed that The frequencies of Thl7 cells increases significantly in peripheral blood in those patients with early disease compared with healthy controls(2.27±0.73% VS 0.82±0.16%, P=0.038); the frequencies of Thl7 cells increases significantly in peripheral blood in those patients with advanced disease compared with those patients with early disease(2.57±0.73% VS 1.76±0.18%, P=0.012). 2.The IL-17 A m RNA and IL-23 m RNA expression of tumor tissue samples are(0.02218±0.00549) and(0.00232±0.00478),significantly higher than those of healthy control(P<0.005).The increase expression of IL-17 A m RNA and IL-23 m RNA were not associated with the gender and age of patients withCRC, nor the tumor size, tumor site(P>0.05), but associated with the lymph node metastasis and TNM stage(P<0.05). 3. The levels of serum IL-17 and IL-23 of CRC patients were significantly higher than those of the controls(16.39±1.72 VS 7.91±4.74 pg/ml, 68.12±11.22 VS 9.13±6.65 pg/ml; P< 0.05). The levels of the serum IL-17 and IL-23 were associated with the lymph node metastasis and TNM stage(P<0.05). 4. The frequencies of Thl7 cells in the peripheral blood of colorectal cancer patients were positively correlated to the plasma levels of IL-17 and IL-23(r=0.64, P<0.01; r=0.59, P<0.01).Conclusion:The frequencies of Thl7 cells is gradually increased with disease progression. The increase expression of Th17 cells-related cytokines(IL-23, IL-17) in tumor tissues and the peripheral blood of colorectal cancer patients suggesting that Th17 cells may promote the progression of colorectal cancer and affect the prognosis of the colorectal cancer patients. They were correlated with the patients with TNM staging, lymph node metastasis. They can serve as important biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of colorectal cancer, and the intervention of Th17 cells secrete cytokines may be provided a new theoretical for the treatment of the colorectal cancer.