Induction of T helper 17 cell response by interleukin-7 in patients with primary cutaneous melanoma

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Induction of T helper 17 cell response by interleukin-7 in patients with primary cutaneous melanoma Via Melanoma Research - Published Ahead-of-Print Interleukin (IL)-7 plays a vital role in proliferation and activation of T cells, however, its signaling through CD127 is impaired in T cells in cancers and chronic infections. The mechanisms underlying T helper 17 (Th17) cell responses by IL-7 in melanoma remain not fully understood. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of IL-7 signaling on Th17 responses in patients with primary cutaneous melanoma. Healthy and primary cutaneous melanoma donors were selected for this study of Th17 cell function. IL-17+CD4+ Th17 cells and CD127 expression on Th17 cells were determined by flow cytometry. Cytokine level was measured by ELISA. Peripheral and tissue-infiltrating CD4+ T cells were isolated using magnetic beads, and then stimulated with IL-7 and/or signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 inhibitor. Activated signaling molecules were analyzed by flow cytometry. Peripheral and tumor-infiltrating Th17 cells percentage was decreased, while peripheral IL-7 level was also reduced in melanoma patients. There was no significant difference of CD127 expression on Th17 cells between melanoma patients and controls. Antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 was downregulated, whereas proapoptotic protein-activated caspase-3 was upregulated in peripheral and tissue-infiltrating Th17 cells in melanoma patients. Higher concentration of IL-7 (10 ng/mL), but not lower IL-7 concentration (1 ng/mL), promoted Bcl-2 expression and decreased caspase-3 expression in Th17 cells in melanoma patients. Inhibition of signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 resulted in the downregulation of Bcl-2 while upregulation of caspase-3 in Th17 cells. The present data suggested that reduced IL-7 responsiveness might be insufficient for Th17 activation in patients with primary cutaneous mela noma. # Hongxia He and Binjun Qiao contributed equally to the writing of this article. Received 4 March 2021 Accepted 16 April 2021 Correspondence to Hongxia He, MM, Department of Dermatology, The First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, 85 South Jiefang Road, Taiyuan, 030000, Shanxi Province, China, Tel/fax: +86 351 4639549; e-mail: fwxz2019@163.com Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.