Am J Blood Res 2013;3(3):239-245

Original Article
Detection of immune suppressive neutrophils in peripheral blood samples of
cancer patients

Suyang Hao, Mary Andersen, Hongbo Yu

Department of Pathology, UMass Memorial Medical Center and University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA,
USA

Received April 9, 2013; Accepted June 30, 2013; Epub August 19, 2013; Published August 30, 2013

Abstract: Neutrophils provide first-line defense against infections and are potent effectors in innate and adaptive immunity.
Recently neutrophils have been shown to play important roles in multiple antitumor reactions. A subset of mature neutrophils
in human systemic inflammation has been identified as a unique circulating population of myeloid cells, which is capable of
inhibiting T cell responses. These neutrophils show unique immunophenotype (CD11c bright/CD62L dim/CD11b
bright/CD16 bright). This study reports detection of mature neutrophils with similar immunophenotype in the peripheral blood
samples of cancer patients using flow cytometry analysis. This population of neutrophils is not detected in peripheral blood
samples of normal controls. Thus this finding suggests the involvement of mature neutrophils in antitumor immunity.
(AJBR1304005).

Keywords: Neutrophils, immunosuppressive, cancer, CD62L

Address correspondence to: Dr. Hongbo Yu, Department of Pathology, UMass Memorial Medical Center, Three Biotech, One
Innovation Drive, Worcester, MA 01605, USA. E-mail: hongbo.yu@umassmemorial.org
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