Brief Article
Copyright ©2012 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jul 7, 2012; 18(25): 3303-3309
Published online Jul 7, 2012. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v18.i25.3303
Increased frequency and clinical significance of myeloid-derived suppressor cells in human colorectal carcinoma
Hong-Li Sun, Xin Zhou, Yi-Feng Xue, Ke Wang, Yun-Feng Shen, Jing-Jue Mao, Hong-Feng Guo, Zong-Ning Miao
Hong-Li Sun, Xin Zhou, Yun-Feng Shen, Jing-Jue Mao, Hong-Feng Guo, Department of Hematology, Wuxi People’s Hospital, Wuxi 214023, Jiangsu Province, China
Yi-Feng Xue, Department of Clinical Laboratory, Wuxi People’s Hospital, Wuxi 214023, Jiangsu Province, China
Ke Wang, Department of General Surgery, Wuxi Third People’s Hospital, Wuxi 214023, Jiangsu Province, China
Zong-Ning Miao, Key Laboratory of Stem Cells of Jiangsu Province, Suzhou 215007, Jiangsu Province, China
Zong-Ning Miao, The Stem Cell Research Laboratory, Wuxi Third People’s Hospital, Wuxi 214023, Jiangsu Province, China
Author contributions: Sun HL, Zhou X and Miao ZN made substantial contributions to study conception and design, drafting of the article, and critical revision for important intellectual content; Sun HL and Xue YF performed the data analysis; Wang K, Shen YF, Mao JJ and Guo HF contributed to patient recruitment, as well as data acquisition, analysis and interpretation; all authors approved the version to be published.
Correspondence to: Zong-Ning Miao, PhD, Key Laboratory of Stem Cells of Jiangsu Province, Suzhou 215007, Jiangsu Province, China. zongningm@hotmail.com
Telephone: +86-510-82607391 Fax: +86-510-82606599
Received: July 27, 2011
Revised: March 19, 2012
Accepted: April 28, 2012
Published online: July 7, 2012
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the frequency and clinical significance of the myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) in human colorectal carcinoma (CRC).

METHODS: Samples of peripheral blood and tumor tissue from 49 CRC patients were analyzed. Mononuclear cells were isolated by Ficoll-Hypaque density gradient centrifugation and were subjected to a flow cytometry-based immunophenotypic analysis.

RESULTS: A considerable increase in the percentage of CD33+HLA-DR- MDSCs was observed in the peripheral blood (1.89% ± 0.75%) and tumor tissues (2.99% ± 1.29%) of CRC patients as compared with that in the peripheral blood of healthy controls (0.54% ± 0.35%). This expanded CD33+HLA-DR- subset exhibited immature myeloid cell markers, but not lineage markers, and showed up-regulation of CD18/CD11b expression as compared with the MDSCs from healthy donors. Further studies showed that the MDSC proportion in CRC peripheral blood was correlated with nodal metastasis

(P = 0.023), whereas that in tumor tissues was correlated with nodal/distant metastasis (P = 0.016/P = 0.047) and tumor stage (P = 0.028), suggesting the involvement of MDSCs in CRC tumor development.

CONCLUSION: Characterization of MDSCs in CRC suggests the clinical significance of circulating and tumor-infiltrating MDSCs and may provide new insights into the CRC immunotherapy targeting MDSCs.

Keywords: Myeloid-derived suppressor cell; Colorectal carcinoma; Tumor metastasis