Table 1.
TH17 cells in human carcinomas: immunological, clinical and pathological associations
| Human cancer type | Presence of TH17 cells | Effects associated with the presence of TH17 cells | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|
| B cell (non-Hodgkin) cancer | Limited TH17 cells in the tumour | Tumours inhibited TH17 cell formation and promoted TReg cells through IL-2 | 94 |
| Breast cancer | Fewer TH17 cells in blood in HER2+ than HER2− patients | Reverse relationship between TH17 and TReg cells; trastuzumab* decreased TReg cells and increased TH17 cells | 95 |
| Colon cancer | TH17 cells detected in the tumours | Polyfunctional TH17 cells present | 14 |
| Gastric cancer | TH17 cells detected in blood and IL17mRNA in the tumour | Blood TH17 cells and IL-17 increased in advanced cancer | 96 |
| Hepatocellular cancer | Increased TH17 cells in the tumour | Polyfunctional TH17 cells; TH17 cells correlate with angiogenesis in viral hepatitis associated carcinoma | 14,97 |
| Melanoma | Increased TH17 cells in the tumour | Polyfunctional TH17 cells. IFNα2 increased TReg cells, but not TH17; tremelimumab‡ increased TH17 cells | 14,67,98 |
| Myeloma | Bone marrow | Polyfunctional TH17 cells; DCs induce TH17 cells | 99 |
| Ovarian cancer | Increased TH17 cells in the tumour | Polyfunctional TH17 cells negatively correlated with TReg cells; tumour IL-17 levels positively predict survival | 13,14,28,100 |
| Pancreatic cancer | Increased TH17 cells in the tumour | Polyfunctional TH17 cells in the tumour | 14 |
| Prostate cancer | Increased TH17 cells in the tumour | TH17 cells were higher in those responsive to immunotherapy than in non-responders and negatively correlated with stages | 66,101 |
| Renal cell cancer | Increased TH17 cells in the tumour | Polyfunctional TH17 cells in the tumour | 14,102 |
| Small cell lung cancer | Increase in number of peripheral TH17 cells | Higher levels of peripheral TH17 cells are observed in patients with limited-stage disease and in long-term survivors | 103 |
DC, dendritic cell; HER2, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2; IFN, interferon; IL, interleukin; TH17, T helper 17; TReg cell, regulatory T cell.
*
Herceptin; Genentech/Roche.
‡
Pfizer/Medarex.