[Role of CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells in peripheral blood from patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma].

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the accurate marker to detect regulatory T cells in vivo and also to evaluate the changes of CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells in peripheral blood from patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma and clinical significance.

METHOD

Forty patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma and 34 patients with thyroid adenoma were included in this study. The proportion of CD4+ D25+ CD127(low/-) regulatory T cells population and CD4+ CD25+ FoxP3- regulatory T cells population was evaluated by flow cytometric analysis.

RESULT

Compared with control group, the proportion of CD4+ CD25+ CD127(low/-) regulatory T cells and CD4+ CD25+ FoxP3+ regulatory T cells in PTC group increased significantly (P < 0.05). The proportions of CD4+ CD25+ CD127(low/-) regulatory T cells and CD4+ CD25+ FoxP3+ regulatory T cells were significantly higher between patients with and without cervical lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05), and extraordinarily different among patients with different clinical stages (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

CD4+ CD25+ CD127(low/-) can be used as an effective membrane marker in identification of CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells in stead of CD4+ CD25+ FoxP3+. The CD4+ CD25+ regulatory T cells in the peripheral blood of papillary thyroid carcinoma patients are significantly increased in comparison with that in thyroid adenoma patients. The proportions of Treg of patients with different stages, cervical lymph node metastasis are different. It may be responsible for the happen, development and recurrence of the papillary thyroid carcinoma.