Correlation of the Expression Alteration of Tim-3 with the T Cell and B Cell Dysfunction in Peripheral Blood of Multiple Myeloma Patients

Abstract

To study the correlation of the expression alteration of Tim-3 with the T cell and B cell dysfunction in peripheral blood of multiple myeloma (MM) patients. 30 patients diagnosed as MM from October 2016 to October 2018 were selected and enrolled in MM group, and 30 healthy persons whose sex and age was matched with the MM patients were selected and enrolled in healthy control group (HC). The blood samples from MM patients and HC were collected, and the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC) were separated by density gradient centrifugation, then the serum was kept for further study. The ratios of CD3+CD4+Tim-3+T cells, CD3+CD8+Tim-3+T cells and the CD19+CD20-CD38+B cells were analysed by flow cytometry (FCM)，and the concentration of T cell-related cytokines IFN-γ, TNF-αand B cell-related antibodies IgA, IgM and IgG were measured by ELISA. At the same time, the differences of the ratios of CCD3+CD4+Tim-3+T, CD3+CD8+Tim-3+T cells and plasmablast and the concentration of IFN-γ, TNF-α, IgA, IgM and IgG between the MM patient and HC were estimated, and the correlation of the ratio of CD3+CD4+Tim-3+T, CD3+CD8+Tim-3+T cells with the ratio of plasmablast and the concentration of IFN-γ, TNF-α, IgA, IgM and IgG in MM patients were analyzed. The ratio of CD3+CD4+Tim-3+T, CD3+CD8+Tim-3+T cells increased in MM patients, while the ratio of CD19+CD20- CD38+B cells and the concentration of IFN-γ, TNF-α, IgA, IgM and IgG decreased in MM patients. And there was a negative correlation of the ratio of CD3+CD4+Tim-3+T cells with CD19+CD20-CD38+B cells and the concentration of IFN-γ, IgA, IgM and IgG in MM patients, while the ratio of CD3+CD8+Tim-3+T cells just negatively correlated with the concentration of TNF-α. Expression of Tim-3 on CD4 and CD8 cells elevates in the peripheral blood of MM patients, which also correlates with the function suppression of T and B cells.