Published online Jan 6, 2020. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v8.i1.11
Peer-review started: October 7, 2019
First decision: November 13, 2019
Revised: November 18, 2019
Accepted: November 30, 2019
Article in press: November 30, 2019
Published online: January 6, 2020
The existence of Tc17 cells was recently shown in several types of inflammatory diseases.
The distribution and functions of Tc17 cells in cervical cancer have not been fully elucidated.
To investigate the role of Tc17 cells in the pathogenesis of cervical cancer.
The frequency of Tc17 cells in blood and tumor samples from patients with cervical cancer was determined by flow cytometry. In addition, the levels and phenotype of Tc17 cells in tissue samples from cervical cancer patients were assessed by immunohistochemistry staining.
Tc17 cells specifically accumulate in the tumor tissues of cervical cancer patients. Cervical cancer-elicited inflammation increases Tc17-polarizing cytokine production, which attenuates cytotoxic CD8+ T cell development. High interleukin-17 production by Tc17 cells leads to CXCL12 upregulation and cancer cell migration.
Consistent with the oncogenic role of Tc17 cells in cancer development, the ratio of cancer-infiltrating Tc17 cells is highly associated with poor prognosis in patients with cervical cancer.
This study indicates that Tc17 cells in cervical cancer and their regulatory mechanisms are associated with cancer progression.