Value Research of T-Regs Cells in Peripheral Blood of Patients with Multiple Myeloma

In this study we have assessed FOXP3 and its isoforms expression by CD4⁺ T cells from peripheral blood of 37 patients with various forms of multiple myeloma (MM) and 15 healthy volunteers. Newly diagnosed MM was in 17 patients; resistant/relapsed MM was registered in 13 patients and 7 patients had remission after chemotherapy. Significant role of FOXP3 expression by CD4⁺ T lymphocytes in pathogenesis of MM was shown. Thus, increase of FOXP3-expressing cells percent among CD4+ T cells is registered in patients with newly diagnosed MM and in resistant/relapsed patients. The main contribution to this percent increment is made by FOXP3D2 isoform expressing cells. In addition to the percent increment the number of CD4⁺FOXP3⁺ T cells is also risen in patients with newly diagnosed MM. The level of FOXP3 expression by CD4⁺ T cells also reflects the effectiveness of antitumor therapy, considering normalization of CD4⁺FOXP3⁺ T cells number and percent in patients with disease remission. We also discuss the possible relationship between FOXP3 mRNA post-transcriptional modification, namely alternative splicing, with stable expression of FOXP3 in T-regs cells.

The level of an expression of T-regs cells can will be applied as criterion of efficiency of antitumor therapy.