Figure 4

The cytokine profile of MAIT cells in CRC patients.

CD3⁺CD161⁺Vα7.2⁺ MAIT cells were purified from six healthy controls or CRC patients and stimulated with, or without, PMA/ionomycin for 48 h. The levels of TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-2, IL-4, IL-10 and IL-17 in the supernatants of cultured cells were determined by CBA. In addition, the relative levels of Vα7.2-Jα33, TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL-17A mRNA transcripts to the control GAPDH in 10 paired central neoplasm and surround non-tumor tissues were determined by quantitative RT-PCR. The relationship between the levels of Vα7.2-Jα33 and cytokine mRNA transcripts was further analyzed. Data are the mean values of individual subjects or expressed as the mean ± SD of individual groups. (a) The levels of cytokines. The dashy lines indicate the detection limits for these cytokines by the CBA. (b) Quantitative real-time PCR analysis of the relative levels of Vα7.2-Jα33, TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL-17A mRNA transcripts in the tumor tissues. (c) The correlation analysis of the relative levels of Vα7.2-Jα33, TNF-α, IFN-γ or IL-17A in the colorectal neoplasms.