Abstract:

 Objective     To investigate the frequency of Th17 cells and IL-17A expression in patients with lung adenocarcinoma, and explore its clinical significance. Methods     Frequencies of Th17 cells were detected in 28 patients with lung adenocarcinoma and 42 healthy volunteers by flow cytometry. Real timePCR was used to detect levels of RORct and Foxp3 mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMC). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect serum concentrations of IL17A, TGF-β and  IL-10. And serum levels of tumor markers were detected in the Department of Clinical Laboratory, Qilu hospital of Shandong University. Results      The frequency of Th17 cells in patients with lung adenocarcinoma was significantly higher than that in healthy volunteers［2.23(1.283.24)% vs 1.19(0.89-1.88)%，P=0.001］, and expressions of RORct mRNA and IL-17A were also upregulated(P<0.001, P=0.001). Expression of Foxp3 mRNA was up-regulated in patients with lung adenocarcinoma(P=0.019), accompanied by elevated serum concentrations of IL-10 and TGF-β(P=0.014,  P=0.003). According to correlation analysis, the level of IL-17A was positively correlated with that of TGF-β(P=0.006, r=0.497), while the frequency of Th17 cells was negatively correlated with serum concentration of carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA)(P=0.024, r=-0. 502). Conclusion      In the peripheral blood from patients with lung adenocarcinoma, the proportion of Th17 cells and serum concentration of IL-17A are higher than those in healthy volunteers, which may be a significant compensation for suppressed antitumor immunity.

Key words: Th17 cells; Interleukin-17A; T regular cell; Lung adenocarcinoma