ABSTRACT
Aims: Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common
clinical lung cancer. Polymorphonuclear-myeloid derived suppressor cells
(PMN-MDSCs), which are the major population of MDSCs, are involved in
NSCLC progression. Recently, it was found that lectin-type oxidized LDL
receptor 1 (LOX-1) could identify humsn PMN-MDSCs. However, the role of
CD15+LOX-1+ PMN-MDSCs in NSCLC early
diagnosis has not been revealed. Here, we tried to confirm the
application of the newly-identified
CD15+LOX-1+ PMN-MDSCs in the early
diagnosis of NSCLC.
Methods: Flow cytometry (FCM) was used to detect the proportion
of CD15+LOX-1+ PMN-MDSCs in the
peripheral blood (PB) of healthy controls (HC) and NSCLC patients. The
correlation of CD15+LOX-1+ PMN-MDSC
frequency with levels of cytokeratin 19-fragments (CYFRA21-1),
carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) was
analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to
estimate the diagnostic efficacy of
CD15+LOX-1+ PMN-MDSCs for NSCLC.
Additionally, the association of
CD15+LOX-1+ PMN-MDSC frequency with
NSCLC prognosis/recurrence after surgery was explored.
Results: The proportion of
CD15+LOX-1+ PMN-MDSCs increased in
PB of NSCLC patients. CD15+LOX-1+PMN-MDSC proportion was positively correlated with levels of CEA and
CYFRA21-1. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of PMN-MDSC percentage was
higher than CYFRA21-1, CEA and CA125. The proportion of
CD15+LOX-1+ PMN-MDSCs decreased in
patients after surgery. The frequency of
CD15+LOX-1+ PMN-MDSCs was lower in
NSCLC patients without recurrence compared to those with recurrence
after surgery.
Conclusions: Circulating
CD15+LOX-1+ PMN-MDSCs are a
potential diagnostic marker for NSCLC, and are associated with NSCLC
prognosis and recurrence after surgery.
KEYWORDS: Polymorphonuclear-myeloid derived suppressor cells,
non-small cell lung cancer, biomarker, early diagnosis, recurrence after
surgery