The expression and clinical significance of CD14+ HLA-DRlow/- myeloid derived suppressor cells in diffuse large B cell lymphoma

Abstract

Objective To investigate the expression of myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in peripheral blood of diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and to investigate the role of MDSCs in the development and progression of DLBCL. Methods A total of 46 newly diagnosed DLBCL patients and 30 healthy controls were enrolled in the study.CD14+ HLA-DRlow/-was used as molecular marker for MDSCs.The frequency of MDSCs in DLBCL patients and healthy controls were determined by flow cytometry.ELISA was used for detecting the concentrations of plasma cytokines Arg-1and IL-10.Bivariate Correlation was used to analyze the correlation among the expression of MDSCs in the peripheral blood and prognostic factors, such as age, sex, clinical stage, LDH, IPI and β2-MG of the new patients. Results The proportion of MDSCs in peripheral blood of newly diagnosed DLBCL patients was significantly higher than that of the control group, and the difference was statistically significant [(35.29±7.43)%VS.(9.23±2.23)%, t=-7.36, P<0.01]. The percentage of MDSCs cells in peripheral blood of patients with stage Ⅰ~Ⅱ was significantly lower than that of patients with stage Ⅲ~Ⅳ([23.19+ 5.41)% VS.(43.23+ 8.46)%, t=-8.65, P<0.01]. The levels of MDSCs were significantly decreased after chemotherapy [(13.68±5.68)% VS.(31.78±4.32)%, t=-9.12, P<0.01)]; The plasma concentration of Arg-1(8.32±2.72)ng/mL、IL-10(6.32±1.12)ng/mL was significantly increased in newly diagnosed DLBCL patients compared with healthy donors(P<0.05). The expression of MDSCs in peripheral blood was significantly correlated with IPI and LDH of the patients in newly diagnosed patients group(r=0.653, P<0.01; r=0.516, P<0.05), whereas it was not significantly correlated with the age, sex, clinical stage, and β2-MG. Conclusion Elevated peripheral blood MDSCs in patients with DLBCL may be an important factor in the occurrence and development of DLBCL, indicating that it could a be used as a prognostic factor for patients. Key words: Diffuse large B cell lymphoma; Myeloid-derived suppressor cells; Immune suppression