Association of regulatory B, T cells and cytokine production with disease stage in non-small cell lung cancer patients: prospective case control study

Background and aim: The role of regulatory B cells (Bregs) cells and regulatory T cells (Tregs) has been little investigated in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Therefore, we investigated the frequency of circulating Bregs, Tregs cells, and the serum cytokine profile in NSCLC and their association with disease progression.

Materials and methods

In this prospective case-control study, peripheral blood from 40 patients with NSCLC and 40 healthy controls was examined, the frequency of various lymphocyte subsets including Bregs and Tregs was evaluated using flow cytometry. Serum cytokine profile including IL1β, IL6, IL-17, TNF-α, IL10, IL35 and TGF-β1 was measured using Luminex assay.