• The frequency of CD33+ pSTAT3+ myeloid-derived suppressor cells in patients with prostate cancer compared with benign prostatic hyperplasia
  • Mohammad-Javad Sanaei,1 Masoud Heshmati,2 Mehrnaz-Sadat Ravari,3 Nader Bagheri,4,*
    1. Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
    2. Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
    3. Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran
    4. Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Basic Health Sciences Institute, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran


  • Introduction: Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most epidemic cancer in the male population. The tumor microenvironment (TME) of the PCa is involved in the presence of immunosuppressive factors that inhibit normal anti-cancer effects of the immune system. With this regard, myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) are some of those factors which can regulate the immune system by several mechanisms including IL-10 production. The aim of this study is to investigate the frequency of CD33+ pSTAT3+ MDSC as well as the mRNA expression of IL-10 in the tissue of PCa patients compared with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) group.
  • Methods: A total of 32 paraffin-embedded tissue and 5 fresh samples from patients with PCa and 32 paraffin-embedded tissue and 5 fresh samples from individuals with BPH were enrolled in this study. The expression of CD33 and pSTAT3 antigens were determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining. IL-10 gene expression was determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
  • Results: The frequency of CD33+ pSTAT3+ MDSC and IL-10 mRNA expression in the TME of PCa patients were significantly higher than the BPH group. Also, there was no significant relationship between the frequency of CD33+ pSTAT3+ MDSC and Gleason scores in the patients with PCa.
  • Conclusion: We concluded that the elevation of the frequency of CD33+ pSTAT3+ MDSC as well as IL-10 mRNA expression in the TME of patients with PCa may promote tumor pathogenesis through the immunosuppressive mechanism.
  • Keywords: Prostate cancer (PCa), Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC), Interleukin-10 (IL-10)