Th17 Cells Exhibit Anti-Tumor Effects in MDS Possibly through Augmenting Functions of CD8+ T Cells

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a common malignant hematological disease.Th17 cells are a newly found subset of distinct CD4+ Th effector cells family and are found to play an important role in cancers. Intracellular staining and flow cytometric analysis were used to detect the percentage of Th17 cells .Here, we showed that both the percentage and the function of Th17 cells were elevated in low-risk MDS while decreased in high-risk MDS. To determine the concentration of IL-17, IL-6 and IL-23, the serum were analyzed by ELISA. Levels of upstream molecules of Th17 cells, IL - 6 and IL - 23, were higher in low-risk MDS but lower in high-risk MDS patients. The abnormal percentage of Th17 cells was closely related to clinical parameters including karyotype, morphologic blast percentage of bone marrow, peripheral absolute neutrophil count and hemoglobin concentration. Furthermore, the expression of IL-17, RORγt , STAT-3 mRNA were determinated of by qRT-PCR .Expression rates of perforin and granzyme B in BM CD3+CD8+ cells (cytotoxic T lymphocyte, CTL) positively correlated with levels of IL-17 but negatively correlated with BM blast percentage, and could be significantly increased after stimulation with human recombinant IL-17 (rhIL-17). Our results suggested Th17 cells might play an antitumor effect in the pathogenesis of MDS through IL-17/CTL pathway.