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. 2020 Feb 21:2020:8797683.
doi: 10.1155/2020/8797683. eCollection 2020.

Th17 Cells and IL-17 As Novel Immune Targets in Ovarian Cancer Therapy

Monika Bilska  1 , Anna Pawłowska  2 , Ewelina Zakrzewska  3 , Agata Chudzik  2 , Dorota Suszczyk  2 , Marek Gogacz  4 , Iwona Wertel  2
Affiliations

Th17 Cells and IL-17 As Novel Immune Targets in Ovarian Cancer Therapy

Monika Bilska et al. J Oncol. .

Abstract

Ovarian cancer (OC) is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage and is related with poor prognosis. Despite numerous studies, the pathogenesis of OC is still unknown. Recent studies indicate the role of the immune system in the development and spread of OC. The identification of factors and mechanisms involved in that process and their modulation is crucial for creating effective antitumor therapy. We investigated the potential role of Th17 cells in OC patients (n = 71) by analyzing the frequencies of Th17 cells in three different environments, i.e., peripheral blood (PB), peritoneal fluid (PF), and tissue (Th17 infiltrating cells), and the concentration of IL-17A in plasma and PF of patients in terms of their clinical and prognostic significance. Th17 cells were analyzed by flow cytometry as a percentage of CD4+ lymphocytes that expressed intracellular expression of IL-17A. The level of IL-17A in plasma and PF were determined by ELISA. Our results showed accumulation of Th17 cells among tumor-infiltrating CD4+ lymphocytes (p < 0.001 in relation to PB). Moreover, the percentage of Th17 cells in both PB and PF of OC patients was significantly lower than that in benign tumors group (n = 35). There were no significant differences in the percentage of Th17 cells in PB, PF, and tissue in relation to clinicopathological characteristics of OC patients and survival. The lower percentage of Th17 cells in the PB and PF of OC patients may promote evasion of host immune response by cancer cells. The concentration of IL-17A in plasma of OC patients was higher (p < 0.0001) than that in both benign tumors and control group (n = 10). The PF IL-17A level in OC patients was higher (p < 0.0001) than that in women with benign ovarian tumors, indicating its synthesis in OC microenvironment. Higher IL-17A level in PF is correlated with longer (median: 36.5 vs. 27 months) survival of OC patients.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow cytometric analysis of Th17 cells in the peripheral blood (a) and tumor (b) of serous ovarian cancer patient.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The percentage of Th17 cells in peripheral blood, in peritoneal fluid, and among ovarian cancer infiltrating cells.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The percentage of Th17 cells in peripheral blood (a) and peritoneal fluid (b) of patients with ovarian cancer and in the group with benign ovarian tumor.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Comparison of Th17 cells percentage in PB and PF of ovarian cancer (a) and in the group with benign ovarian tumor (b).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Plasma IL-17A concentration in patients with ovarian cancer, in the group with benign tumors and in the control group.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Plasma (a) and PF (b) IL-17A concentration in patients with ovarian cancer before and after menopause.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Comparison of plasma and PF IL-17A concentration in patients with ovarian cancer (a) or in the group with benign ovarian tumors (b).
Figure 8
Figure 8
IL-17A concentration in the PF of patients with ovarian cancer and in the group with benign ovarian tumors.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Relationship between the level of IL-17 in the plasma (a, b) and PF (c, d) and survival of OC patients.
Figure 10
Figure 10
The relationship between IL-17 concentration, clinical parameters, and five-year survival of OC patients.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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