الفهرس | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract Objectives: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer and the second cause of death worldwide. In the tumor microenvironment (TME), immune cells can act both as suppressors as well as promoters of tumor progression and metastasis. The Myeloid- Derived Suppressor Cells (MDSCs) are one of the immune cells that suppress the anti-tumor immune response in TME. Autophagy is one of the pivotal MDSCs immune-suppressive functions, while LC3-associated phagocytosis (LAP) is a noncanonical function for the autophagy proteins. Our study aims to determine the role of MDSCs, Autophagy, and LAP in CRC patients. Method: Forty-three CRC patients versus 27 healthy individuals were included in our study. The percentage of MDSCs phenotypes in CRC patients’ peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was measured by flow cytometry. Autophagy and LAP in CRC’s MDSCs were measured with the same technique. Results: Statistically significant increase in MDSCs levels was not found in CRC patients compared to healthy controls. However, a trend toward M-MDSC association with CRC occurrence was revealed. PMN-MDSC and M-MDSCs were higher in metastatic CRC patients but not statistically significant. A statistically significant association was not found for MDSCs’ LAP in CRC disease. However, a significant association was found between autophagosomes containing MDSCs and CRC occurrence. LAPosomes containing MDSCs showed statistically significant elevation in emergency presenting CRC patients. Conclusion: No significant influence of MDSCs on CRC cancer susceptibility. Nevertheless, suppressing autophagosomes containing MDSCs would induce tumor progression |