Expression of CD4+CD25+CD127(Low) regulatory T cells and cytokines in peripheral blood of patients with primary liver carcinoma

Objective: To assess the clinical utility of the ratio of CD4+CD25+CD127(low) regulatory T cells (Tregs) in subjects at high risk of HCC, investigate the relationship between the percentage of Tregs and the expression of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 and interleukin (IL)-10 in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma before and after treatment. Methods: Peripheral venous blood was collected from patients with liver cancer before and after treatment. The proportion of CD4+CD25+CD127(low) Tregs was detected by flow cytometry. The levels of TGF-β1 and IL-10 in serum were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and were compared with healthy subjects as a control group. Results: The proportion of CD4+CD25+CD127(low) to CD4+T lymphocytes in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma was significantly higher than that in healthy controls (P<0.01). The proportion of CD4+CD25+CD127(low)Tregs, whose AUC of ROC curve was 0.917, could effectively separate the HCC patients from the healthy subjects with a diagnostic sensitivity of 90%, specificity of 80%. The proportion of CD4+CD25+CD127(low) to CD4+T lymphocytes and the levels of TGF-β1 and IL-10 in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after the operation and chemotherapy were significantly lower than those before treatment (P<0.05).The proportion of CD4+CD25+CD127(low)Tregs was positively correlated with the concentrations of TGF-β1 and IL-10 before and after treatment of primary liver cancer (P<0.05). Conclusion: CD4+CD25+CD127(low)Tregs may be a significant predictor of HCC biopsy outcome and play an inhibitory role on effector T cells by regulating cytokines.