Lower expression of mRNA for interferon-gamma in T helper cells of children with newly diagnosed lymphomas

• Main Authors: Michał Matysiak, Jerzy Kowalczyk, Lech Chyczewski, Iwona Malinowska, Małgorzata Mitura-Lesiuk, Maryna Krawczuk-Rybak, Oksana Kovalchuk, Włodzimierz Łuczyński
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Via Medica 2011-08-01
• Series: Folia Histochemica et Cytobiologica
• Subjects: Lymphoma; Children; T-cells; Interferon-gamma; Immunosuppression
• Online Access: http://czasopisma.viamedica.pl/fhc/article/view/4615
• ISSN: 0239-8508; 1897-5631

The complex interactions between cancer and host cells are far from being fully elucidated. Assessment of Th<sub>1</sub>/Th<sub>2</sub>/Th<sub>3</sub>/Tr<sub>1</sub> balance is an interesting approach to explain immunological disturbances in lymphomas. The aim of our study was to assess mRNA for pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in T-cells in 20 children with Hodgkin- and non-Hodgkin lymphomas. CD4<sup>+</sup> and CD8<sup>+</sup> cells were isolated from whole peripheral blood and four different cytokine mRNA levels (IFN-γ, IL-10, IL-4, TGF-β) were determined by real-time PCR technique. Comparing to the control group, we found lower expression of mRNA for IFN-gamma in CD4<sup>+</sup> cells at the time of lymphoma diagnosis. It may be one of the pathogenetic mechanisms of impaired immunity in these patients.