Involvement of increased Arg-1+ILC2s and MDSCs in endometrial carcinoma: a pilot study

Background Endometrial carcinoma (EC) is a prevalent cancer in gynecology, and its survival rate is significantly low. Emerging studies have demonstrated that the combined action of group 2 innate lymphoid cell (ILC2) and myeloid-derived suppressor cell (MDSC) drives tumor progression. Methods A total of 41 EC patients and 40 controls were enrolled in this study. The ELISA kits were employed to measure the levels of IFN-γ, interleukin (IL)-4,22,25 and CCL3,4,5 in the serums; flow cytometry was used to characterize the populations of ILCs, MDSCs and arginase-1 (Arg-1) in both peripheral blood (PB) and carcinoma tissue (CT). Results We observed a significant elevation of Arg-1 ⁺ ILC2 expression and a notable increase in MDSCs and Mo-MDSCs among PBMCs and CTs in the EC group. Additionally, the concentration of IL-25, a crucial cytokine in the ILC2-MDSC axis, was significantly higher in EC patients. Furthermore, a positive correlation between Arg-1 ⁺ ILC2s and Mo-MDSCs was identified in EC patients. These findings suggest that elevated levels of Arg-1 ⁺ ILC2s and Mo-MDSCs are associated with PFS. Conclusion In summary, Arg-1 ⁺ ILC2s and Mo-MDSCs serve as a poor prognosis indicator of EC and they collectively participant in tumor promotion of EC.