Identification and Characterization of Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells (MDSC) Using a Simple Approach for Conventional Flow Cytometry Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.34635/rpc.1099Keywords:
Biomarkers, Tumor, Flow Cytometry, Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells, NeoplasmsAbstract
Introduction: Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are a heterogeneous population of immature myeloid cells that accumulate under pathological conditions, such as cancer, and suppress immune responses through various mechanisms. Distinguishing MDSC populations remains challenging due to their shared surface markers with neutrophils and monocytes, complicating accurate identification and quantification. This study aimed to improve MDSC identification and quantification using conventional flow cytometry panels and assess their functional activity for integration into the cancer immunogram of cancer patients at the Immunology Department of IPO-Porto.
Methods: Identification and quantification of circulating MDSCs were performed by flow cytometry using an 8-color multiparametric panel.
Results: Cancer patients showed significantly higher levels of PMN-MDSCs (12-fold) and M-MDSCs (1.1-fold) than healthy donors. MDSC function was evaluated by qPCR after cell sorting (FACS), revealing increased transcriptional levels of NOS2 and TGFB1, which are associated with immunosuppressive activity. Moreover, reduced zeta chain (CD247) expression in T lymphocytes and NK cells was observed, with lower mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) ratios in cancer patients, indicating impaired immune signaling.
Conclusion: This study confirmed that circulating MDSC levels are elevated in cancer patients, reinforcing their relevance in the cancer immunogram. It also identified potentially useful phenotypic and functional MDSC markers that require validation in larger sample sets. The findings contribute to refining flow cytometry analysis panels, enabling more accurate and standardized identification of MDSC populations using conventional platforms.
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