Abstract
This study sought to evaluate whether myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) could be affected by chemotherapy and correlate with pathologic complete response (pCR) in breast cancer patients receiving neo-adjuvant chemotherapy. Peripheral blood levels of granulocytic (G-MDSC) and monocytic (M-MDSC) MDSC were measured by flow cytometry prior to cycle 1 and 2 of doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide and 1st and last administration of paclitaxel or paclitaxel/anti-HER2 therapy. Of 24 patients, 11, 6 and 7 patients were triple negative, HER2+ and hormone receptor+, respectively. 45.8% had pCR. Mean M-MDSC% were <1. Mean G-MDSC% and 95% confidence intervals were 0.88 (0.23–1.54), 5.07 (2.45–7.69), 9.32 (4.02–14.61) and 1.97 (0.53–3.41) at draws 1–4. The increase in G-MDSC by draw 3 was significant (p < 0.0001) in all breast cancer types. G-MDSC levels at the last draw were numerically lower in patients with pCR (1.15; 95% CI 0.14–2.16) versus patients with no pCR (2.71; 95% CI 0–5.47). There was no significant rise in G-MDSC from draw 1 to 3 in African American patients, and at draw 3 G-MDSC levels were significantly lower in African Americans versus Caucasians (p < 0.05). It was concluded that G-MDSC% increased during doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide therapy, but did not significantly differ between patients based on pathologic complete response.
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Abbreviations
- CALGB:
-
Cancer and Leukemia Group B
- G-CSF:
-
Granulocyte colony stimulating factor
- G-MDSC:
-
Granulocytic MDSC
- HR:
-
Hormone receptor
- IRB:
-
Institutional review board
- M-MDSC:
-
Monocytic MDSC
- MDSC:
-
Myeloid-derived suppressor cell(s)
- NAC:
-
Neo-adjuvant chemotherapy
- PBMC:
-
Peripheral blood mononuclear cell(s)
- pCR:
-
Pathologic complete response
- RCB:
-
Residual cancer burden
- TNBC:
-
Triple negative breast cancer
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Acknowledgements
This work has been supported by the National Institutes of Health Grants 2P01CA095426-11, T32 GM068412 (to M. Duggan), K12 CA 133250 as well as the Ohio State Center for Clinical and Translational Science Richard P. and Marie R. Bremer Medical Research Fund and William H. Davis Endowment for Basic Medical Research Pilot Grant (UL1TR000090).
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Wesolowski, R., Duggan, M.C., Stiff, A. et al. Circulating myeloid-derived suppressor cells increase in patients undergoing neo-adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer. Cancer Immunol Immunother 66, 1437–1447 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00262-017-2038-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00262-017-2038-3