مقارنة نسبة الخلايا التائية المساعدة (TH17)‎17 و تركيز الإنترلوكين (IL-17)‎17في الدم المحيطي عند مريضات سرطان الثدي و مريضات الأورام الحميدة في الثدي و علاقتهما مع تطور الورم

الملخص EN

Objective: T-helper 17 (Th17) cells represent a particular subset of T helper lymphocytes characterized by high production of interleukin 17 (IL-17) and other inflammatory cytokines.

While a role for Th17 cells in promoting inflammation and autoimmune disorders has been extensively demonstrated, it is still controversial whether and how Th17 cells influence tumor immunity.

In this study, we examined the proportion of Th17 cells and the concentration of a related cytokine (IL-17) in peripheral blood from Syrian patients with breast cancer.

Methods: The study included 69 patients with breast tumors.

They were divided into 2 categories: patients affected with benign breast tumors (n=28) with age range (26-79) years, and breast cancer patients (n=41) with age range (22-74) years.

Th17 cells were evaluated in peripheral blood by flow cytometry and reported as a percentage of total CD4+ cells, and ELISA method has been used for estimation IL-17 levels in serum of studied groups.

The present study also assessed the association of cell percentage and IL-17 levels with clinico-pathological parameters.

Results: Breast cancer samples had significantly higher concentrations of IL-17 compared with benign breast tumor samples, and this elevation was correlated with angiogenesis and metastasis.

However, no significant difference of Th17 cell percentages was found between the two studied groups.

Similarly, no significant association was recognized between Th17 frequency and clinico-pathological factors.

Conclusions: We observed significantly increased levels of IL-17 in serum of breast cancer patients, and a significant association between these levels and both angiogenesis and metastasis.

The present findings suggest that IL-17 could be involved in the aggressiveness of breast tumors.