Assessment of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and Foxp3 methylation level in chronic myeloid leukemia patients on tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy.

The key cell population permits cancer cells to avoid immune-surveillance is regulatory T cells (Tregs). This study evaluates the level of Tregs in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients and the effect of Tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) on Treg levels, as a pathway to understand the immune response and behavior among advance stage and optimal response CML patients using imatinib therapy. Blood samples were collected from 30 CML patients (optimal response to TKI), 30 CML patients (failure response to TKI), and 30 age- and gender-matched controls.