Evaluation of regulatory T cells (Tregs) alterations in patients with multiple myeloma treated with bortezomib or lenalidomide plus dexamethasone: correlations with treatment outcome

• Published in: Annals of hematology 2019-06, Vol.98 (6), p.1457-1466
• Main Authors: Hadjiaggelidou, Christina, Mandala, Evdokia, Terpos, Evangelos, Yiannaki, Efthalia, Markala, Dimitra, Triantafyllou, Theodora, Papatheodorou, Athanasios, Gkastari, Vassiliki, Verrou, Evgenia, Papanikolaou, Asimina, Konstantinidou, Pavlina, Katodritou, Eirini
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cytokines; Hematology; Immunotherapy; Inhibitor drugs; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Multiple myeloma; Oncology; Original Article; Steroids; Targeted cancer therapy
• ISSN: 0939-5555; 1432-0584
• DOI: 10.1007/s00277-019-03657-3

The exact role of regulatory T cells (Tregs) in multiple myeloma (MM) has not been yet determined. Data regarding alterations of Tregs during therapy with novel agents (NA), i.e., bortezomib and lenalidomide are conflicted and limited. We evaluated prospectively alterations of Tregs and searched for correlations with disease characteristics, response, and outcome in 29 patients with active MM treated with either bortezomib-dexamethasone (BD; 11 patients) or lenalidomide-dexamethasone (LenDex, 18 patients). Additionally, we recorded changes of lymphocytes subsets and cytokines related to Tregs function and MM biology, i.e., interleukin (IL) 6, 2, 17, and TGF-β. Compared with controls, patients had significantly higher median levels of Tregs%, IL-6, and IL-17 ( p