T helper 1 inhibitor TAK-603 inhibits IFN-gamma and IL-12 production with no effect on IL-18: an observation in sarcoidosis patients

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Sarcoidosis is immunologically characterized by highly enhanced Th1 responses in active stage. TAK-603 is a new quinoline derivative, which selectively suppresses Th1 cytokine production. Thus, the present study was designed to investigate whether TAK-603 ameliorates excess IFN-gamma production in active sarcoidosis. METHODS: We evaluated inhibitory effects of TAK-603 on IFN-gamma, IL-12 and IL-18 production in stimulated bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of sarcoidosis patients and healthy subjects. RESULTS: TAK-603 inhibited IFN-gamma production in stimulated BAL fluid cells and PBMCs of sarcoidosis patients and healthy subjects. TAK-603 inhibited IL-12 production in stimulated BAL fluid cells of sarcoidosis patients and healthy subjects. TAK-603 tended to inhibit IL-12 production in stimulated PBMCs of sarcoidosis patients and healthy subjects. However, TAK-603 did not affect IL-18 production in stimulated BAL fluid cells and PBMCs. TAK-603 did not affect TNF-alpha production in stimulated BAL fluid cells of sarcoidosis patients. TAK-603 inhibited IL-12 production in stimulated blood monocytes of healthy subjects, whereas IL-18 was increased by treatment with TAK-603. TAK-603 inhibited IFN-gamma production in PHA-stimulated blood T lymphocytes of healthy subjects with stimulation of IL-12 or a combination of IL-12 and IL-18. TAK-603 did not increase IL-10 or TGF-beta1 production in LPS-stimulated BAL fluid cells of sarcoidosis patients. CONCLUSIONS: TAK-603 inhibits IFN-gamma production in activated T lymphocytes and IL-12 production in activated monocytes/macrophages independently of increased production of IL-10 and TGF-beta1. TAK-603 may ameliorate excess IFN-gamma production and be a therapeutic tool for refractory sarcoidosis.     

Increased populations of regulatory T cells in peripheral blood and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in patients with gastric and esophageal cancers.

PURPOSE: It is well known that tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and, to a lesser extent, peripheral blood lymphocytes from patients with advanced-stage cancer have a poor immune response. Regulatory T cells (T-regs), characterized by coexpression of CD4 and CD25 markers, can inhibit the immune response mediated by CD4+/CD25- and CD8+ T cells. In the present study, we evaluated the prevalence of T-regs in peripheral blood and TILs in patients with gastric and esophageal cancers. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: The population of CD4+/CD25+ cells as a percentage of total CD3+ cells was evaluated by flow cytometric analysis with triple-color staining. To assess the functional activity of CD4+/CD25+ cells, CD4+/CD25+ or CD4+/CD25- cells were purified from peripheral blood mononuclear cells with magnetic beads. The cytokine production [interleukin (IL)-10 and IFN-gamma] from the CD4+/CD25+ cells in response to anti-CD3 stimulation was evaluated. Also, the antiproliferative function of CD4+/CD25+ cells was measured by evaluating the proliferative activity of CD4+/CD25- cells in response to anti-CD3 plus anti-CD28 in the presence of autologous CD4+/CD25+ cells. RESULTS: The prevalence of peripheral blood CD4+/CD25+ cells in both gastric (n = 20; 14.2 +/- 4.9%) and esophageal cancer patients (n = 10; 19.8 +/- 6.9%) was significantly higher than that in healthy donors (n = 16; 7.2 +/- 2.1%). The population of CD4+/CD25+ cells in the TILs of gastric cancer patients with advanced disease (19.8 +/- 4.5%) was significantly higher than that in TILs of patients with early-stage disease (4.8 +/- 2.1%) or that in intraepithelial lymphocytes of normal gastric mucosa (4.0 +/- 1.2%). As a functional consequence, CD4+/CD25+ cells did not produce IFN-gamma, whereas CD4+/CD25- cells secreted IFN-gamma. Moreover, CD4+/CD25+ cells produced large amounts of IL-10, whereas CD4+/CD25- cells secreted little IL-10. The proliferation of CD4+/CD25- cells was inhibited in the presence of CD4+/CD25+ cells in a dose-dependent manner, confirming that CD4+/CD25+ has an inhibitory activity corresponding to T-regs. CONCLUSIONS: The populations of CD4+/CD25+ T-regs in peripheral blood and TILs in patients with gastric and esophageal cancers were significantly higher in comparison with those in healthy donors or normal mucosa.     

Characterization of intracellular cytokine profile of CD4(+) T cells in peripheral blood and tumor-draining lymph nodes of patients with gastrointestinal cancer

BACKGROUND: Analysis of serum cytokine levels has shown that cancer-bearing hosts have lower levels of IL-2 and IFN-gamma, suggesting that Th1-type immunity is impaired by cancer. However, the mechanisms of the Th1 dysfunction are not clearly understood. METHOD: The frequencies of Th1 cells in CD4(+) helper T cells were evaluated with an intracytoplasmic cytokine staining method in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) and lymph node lymphocytes (LNL) of patients with gastrointestinal cancer. RESULTS: Activation of lymphocytes with PMA + Ionomycin induced the expression of IL-2 and IFN-gamma in each lymphocyte population. Compared with PBL of non-malignant donors, PBL in cancer patients contained significantly lower frequencies of CD4(+) T cells that produced IL-2 and IFN-gamma. LNL in cancer patients also contained lower levels of IL-2- and IFN-gamma-producing CD4(+) T cells, although the percentages did not show significant differences from those of PBL in the same patients. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that suppression of Th1 cytokine in cancer patients is, at least in part, due to the decreased frequency of Th1 cells with CD4(+) phenotype.     

Enhanced expression of IFN-gamma mRNA in CD4(+)or CD8(+)tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes compared to peripheral lymphocytes in patients with renal cell cancer

The mRNA expression of the cytokines IFN-gamma, IL-10 and TNF-alpha and the proapoptotic factor Fas ligand (FasL) was compared in freshly isolated CD4(+)and CD8(+)tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) and simultaneously obtained autologous CD4(+)and CD8(+)peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from 20 patients with renal cell carcinomas (RCC). TIL were isolated from mechanically disaggregated tumour material and PBL from peripheral blood by gradient centrifugation. The cells of the interphase were depleted from tumour cells with anti-human epithelial antigen magnetic beads and then positive selection was performed with anti-CD4 or anti-CD8 magnetic beads. In these pure lymphocyte preparations the constitutive expression of cytokine and FasL mRNAs was determined by using a PCR-assisted mRNA amplification assay. In the CD4(+)TIL from the 20 patients with RCC, levels of mRNAs encoding for IFN-gamma (P相似文献   

T-lymphocyte activity in HLA-DR17 positive patients with active and clinically recovered sarcoidosis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: CD4+ T-lymphocytes are accumulated at the sites of inflammation in sarcoidosis and assumed to play a key role in directing the immune events. By analysing their expression of activation molecules and comparing it between sarcoidosis patients at disease onset and patients at clinical resolution, our aims were to increase the knowledge of their role and find markers of disease activity. METHODS: Thirty-two sarcoidosis patients, 23 at disease onset and 9 after clinical resolution, and 36 healthy controls were included. All patients were HLA-DR17 positive, a group sharing several clinical and immunological features. CD4+ T-lymphocytes from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and peripheral blood were analysed for the expression of CD25, HLA-DR and CD69 by flow cytometry. RESULTS: The CD25 and HLA-DR expression were increased on CD4+ lymphocytes from BALF and peripheral blood at disease onset compared to patients with clinically resolved disease and controls. Interestingly, the percentage of T regulatory (Treg) cells, defined as CD4+ CD25(bright) lymphocytes, was increased in both BALF and blood from patients with active disease. The CD69 expression did not differ between the groups in either compartment. CONCLUSIONS: CD4+ BALF and blood lymphocytes from DR17 positive patients with active sarcoidosis reveal an increased expression of activity markers compared to patients after clinical resolution. An increased number of Treg cells in active sarcoidosis may be involved in the characteristic down-regulation of cell-mediated immune responses in this disease. The results indicate that analysis of these activation markers could be useful as markers of disease activity in sarcoidosis.     

Altered expression of natural killer cell inhibitory receptors (KIRs) on T cells in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and peripheral blood of sarcoidosis patients

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE WORK: The role for natural killer cell inhibitory receptors (KIRs) on T cells is not fully understood, but signalling through KIRs on T cells may inhibit T cell receptor mediated activation, and KIR expression has been suggested to be one mechanism of controlling T cell mediated immune responses. An aberrant KIR expression on T cells could thus be of importance in autoimmune as well as infectious disorders. Sarcoidosis patients have several immunological impairments that have not been clarified, and we here examined the KIR expression on CD4+ and CD8+ peripheral blood (PBL) and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) T cells of sarcoidosis patients and controls. METHODS: We used three KIR specific monoclonal antibodies, namely DX9 (specific for p70), DX27 (p58) and DX22 (specific for CD94, that belongs to another major group of KIRs) and flow cytometry. RESULTS: p70 was expressed lower in patient CD8+ PBL (median 2.3%) compared to controls (6.3%) (p < 0.01). In patients, p58 was expressed by less CD8+ BAL lymphocytes (median 1.2%) compared to PBL (6.8%) (p < 0.01) while CD94 was expressed by more CD8+ BAL lymphocytes (median 14.5%) compared to PBL (9.6%) (p < 0.01). Moreover, in CD8+ PBL, CD94 and p58 were expressed significantly lower in patients with an active vs. inactive disease, and in patients with chest radiographic stage I vs. stage II, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The significantly altered expression of distinct KIRs on CD8+ T cells in sarcoidosis, especially in patients with signs of an active disease, indicate these cells to be dysregulated and implicate them in the pathogenesis of the disease.     

Exaggerated TNFalpha release of alveolar macrophages in corticosteroid resistant sarcoidosis

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF WORK: The aim of the present study was to determine the TNFalpha release of cultured alveolar macrophages (AM) and the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cellular profile in 35 patients suffering from long lasting sarcoidosis. METHODS: The AM TNFalpha release and the BAL cellular profile of 35 patients with a mean duration of sarcoidosis of 10.4 +/- 1.3 years at the time of BAL was compared to 35 healthy controls. RESULTS: The BAL profile of 12 sarcoid patients with a stable disease was similar to that known from acute sarcoidosis. Sarcoid patients with progressive disease (n = 12) and sarcoid patients with corticosteroid resistant disease (n = 11) were characterised by a normal CD4/CD8 ratio and a significant increase of BAL neutrophils (2.7 +/- 1.0% and 3.8 +/- 1.1%, respectively). The AM TNFalpha release of sarcoid patients with stable disease did not differ significantly from controls (523 +/- 124 pg/ml vs. 410 +/- 104 pg/ml). In contrast, we observed a significantly elevated TNFalpha release in sarcoid patients with progressive (2,124 +/- 550 pg/ml; p < 0.01) as well as in those with a corticosteroid resistant disease (1,585 +/- 520 pg/ml; p < 0.01) compared to controls. CONCLUSION: Chronic sarcoid patients in a progressive phase of the disease and those with a corticosteroid resistant disease are characterised by a significantly increased TNFalpha release of cultured AM. Our results support the usage of chimeric anti-TNFalpha antibodies as an alternative therapeutic regimen in chronic corticosteroid resistant sarcoidosis.     

Inhibition of cytolytic T lymphocyte proliferation by autologous CD4+/CD25+ regulatory T cells in a colorectal carcinoma patient is mediated by transforming growth factor-beta

Cancer patients often develop CTLs that lyse autologous tumor cells in culture. However, tumors can progress in vivo despite the presence of CTLs. Various mechanisms have been reported to down-modulate CTL functions. In this study, the role of CD4+/CD25+ regulatory T cells in CTL induction and proliferation of established CTLs was investigated in a patient with CRC. CD4+ cytotoxic and regulatory T-cell lines were derived from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of the same patient in mixed-lymphocyte tumor culture. The cytotoxic T-cell line and a clonal derivative specifically lysed the autologous tumor cells but not the B lymphocytes. Only HLA-A1-matched allogeneic CRC cells were lysed by the CTL clone. The clone produced IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha. The regulatory CD4+/CD25+ T-cell line was tumor cell-dependent in its growth but did not lyse autologous tumor cells. This T-cell line suppressed pokeweed mitogen responses of allogeneic lymphocytes, proliferative activity of the established, autologous CTLs, and induction of CTLs in autologous, freshly isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The immunosuppressive effect of the CD4+/CD25+ regulatory T cells was mediated by transforming growth factor-beta and did not require cell-to-cell contact. Thus, although CRC patients can develop specific CTLs against their tumors, the development of regulatory T cells may allow the escape of tumor cells from immune surveillance by the CTLs in vivo.     

Effector, memory and naïve CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood and pleural effusion from lung adenocarcinoma patients

The proportions of na?ve, memory and effector CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood and pleural effusion from lung adenocarcinoma patients were studied. CD8+ T subsets were identified by using a combination of the following antibodies: anti-CD45RA, anti-CD45RO, anti-CD27 and anti-CD28, as well as antibodies to other markers. Fas-positive cells were determined in each CD8+ T subset. Also, the intracellular cytokine patterns of CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes from pleural effusion were analysed. In na?ve, memory and effector CD8+ T subsets no significant differences were observed in peripheral blood between healthy donors and cancer patients. In contrast, a high proportion of cells with memory phenotype (CD45RA-CD45RO+CD27+CD28+) and a low proportion of cells with effector phenotype (CD45RA+CD45RO-CD27-CD28-) were found in pleural effusion with respect to peripheral blood (P<0.001). The altered proportions of CD8+ T subsets in pleural effusion were not mediated by type 2 cytokines produced by CD4+ or CD8+ lymphocytes. In the effector CD8+ T subset, from peripheral blood as well as from pleural effusion, a low percentage of perforin-expressing cells was observed compared to granzyme A-expressing cells. Additionally, a high percentage of na?ve CD8+ T cells expressing Fas was found. Our data suggest that: (i) terminal-differentiation process of CD8+ T cells is blocked, and (ii) early Fas-expression in CD8+ T cells, which was reflected even in peripheral blood, may lead to apoptosis of na?ve cells when they reach the effector stage. All these processes may contribute to the inadequate antitumour immune response found in lung carcinoma patients.     

Inflammatory BAL-fluid and serum parameters in HLA DR17 positive vs. DR17 negative patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE WORK: We have previously shown that HLA DR17 is associated with a favourable prognosis in Scandinavian sarcoidosis patients. By studying inflammatory parameters in these patients we wished to increase the knowledge of the involved mechanisms that may underlie good prognosis. METHODS: BAL was performed in 118 sarcoidosis patients, 67 HLA DR17 positive and 51 DR17 negative. BAL cell profile was analysed. The CD4 and CD8 lymphocyte phenotype was determined by flow cytometry. BALF-albumin, BALF-fibronectin (FN) and BALF-procollagen III aminoterminal peptide (PIIINP) were analysed by nephelometric, ELISA and RIA methods respectively. Neopterin and soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL2R) in serum were also determined by ELISA. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) in serum was analysed by spectrophotometry. RESULTS: In DR17+ patients, BAL lymphocytes and eosinophils were significantly decreased (median 30.2 and 0.19 x10(6)/L) compared to DR17- (median 50.2 and 0.64 x 10(6)/L respectively). However the BAL CD4/CD8 ratio was increased in the DR17+ group compared to DR17- (6.2 vs. 4.3). BALF-albumin, FN and PIIINP did not differ between the groups. Serum parameters were decreased in DR17+ patients compared to DR17- (ACE median 28.7 vs. 35.1 U/L, neopterin 9.1 vs. 12.7 nmol/L and sIL2R 296 vs. 605 U/L). CONCLUSIONS: The study revealed that an increased BAL CD4/CD8 ratio, in contrast to BAL lymphocytosis, was seen in a subgroup of sarcoidosis patients earlier associated with a favourable prognosis. Our results support that an increased BAL CD4/CD8 ratio is a favourable parameter in sarcoidosis. The lower ACE activity in the DR 17+ group indicates a reduced granuloma burden in this patient subgroup.     

胃腺癌患者外周血中CD4+T淋巴细胞表面抑制性分子PD-1的表达

目的:检测胃腺癌患者外周血中程序性死亡分子1（programmed death-1,PD-1）在CD4+T淋巴细胞上的表达水平,探讨其与胃腺癌的关系。方法:选取未经放、化疗或外科手术治疗的胃癌患者57例、疾病对照22例与健康对照20例,取新鲜抗凝血经流式细胞术（flowcytometry,FCM）检测抑制性分子PD-1的百分比例;同时对胃腺癌患者进行TNM分期比较。结果:胃腺癌患者外周血中PD-1在CD4+T淋巴细胞上的表达水平（10.91±4.36）%比疾病对照（8.14±3.65）%和健康对照（7.37±3.06）%显著升高,Ⅲ-Ⅳ期胃腺癌患者的CD4+PD-1+T细胞的百分比例（11.9±3.85）%显著高于Ⅰ-Ⅱ期（9.08±3.13）%。结论:抑制性分子PD-1在胃腺癌外周血中CD4+T淋巴细胞表面表达增加,并随胃腺癌进展而升高,提示CD4+PD-1+T淋巴细胞与胃腺癌的发生发展相关。     

Infusion of CD4+ donor lymphocytes induces the expansion of CD8+ donor T cells with cytolytic activity directed against recipient hematopoietic cells.

PURPOSE: Donor lymphocyte infusions (DLIs) provide effectivetherapy for patients with relapsed chronic myeloid leukemia after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. Previous studies have suggested that depletion of CD8+ T cells from the infused donor lymphocytes can reduce the incidence of graft-versus-host disease associated with DLI without reducing antileukemia activity. In this situation however, the immune effector cells responsible for tumor rejection have not been identified. The goal of this study was to characterize these effector populations. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We studied three representative patients with relapsed chronic myeloid leukemia who achieved complete molecular remission after receiving CD8+ T-cell-depleted DLI from HLA-identical sibling donors. Effector T cells were characterized in patient samples after in vitro stimulation and functional assessment. T-cell clones relevant to the immune response were then isolated and further characterized. RESULTS: Analysis of peripheral blood samples collected after DLI indicated the presence of a high frequency of circulating host-reactive cytolytic CD8+ T cells secreting IFN-gamma. These HLA class I-restricted CTLs were specific for recipient minor histocompatibility antigens (mHAs) because they did not recognize target cells of donor origin. One CTL clone was further expanded in vitro and shown to recognize a broadly expressed mHA presented by HLA-B5701. Using a molecular approach, we demonstrated that this clone was expanded in peripheral blood and marrow after DLI. It was not detected before DLI. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that CD4+ DLI elicits a potent allogeneic response mediated by mHA-specific CD8+ T cells.     

BALF and BLOOD NK- cells in different stages of pulmonary sarcoidosis

Background and objective:Data on natural killer (NK)- and natural killer T (NKT)- like cells in the immunopathogenesis of sarcoidosis remain limited. The aim was to assess NK- and NKT-like cells across different stages in bronchoalveolar lavage (BALF) versus peripheral blood (PB) in comparison to controls.Methods:Forty four patients (32 women and 12 men, mean age 46.6±14.4 years) with biopsy-proven sarcoidosis and 10 healthy individuals (6 women, 4 men mean age 52.6±19.1 years) were submitted to BALF. Total cells and cell differentials were counted, while CD45+, CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD19+, CD3-CD16/56 (NK cells) and CD3+CD16/56+ (NKT-like cells) were determined by dual flow cytometry in BALF and PB.Results:A significantly lower percentage of both NK and NKT-like cells was observed in BALF of controls and sarcoid patients (SP) compared to PB. Both BALF NK and NKT-cell counts were significantly higher in SP than in controls (NK: p=0.046, NKT-like: p=0.012) In addition BALF NK cell percentage differed among sarcoidosis stages (p=0.005). In PB NK-cell count was lower in sarcoidosis patients but the difference did not reach statistical significance. Also, in sarcoid patients’ BALF NK-cell percentage negatively correlated with lymphocyte percentage (r=-0.962, p<0.001).Conclusions:The increased count of BALF NK and NKT-like cells in sarcoidosis compared to controls along with the increase of NK cells with stage progression are in line with a growing number of investigations suggesting the involvement of NK- and NKT-like cells in the pathogenesis of sarcoidosis.     

Propionibacterium acnes DNA detected in bronchoalveolar lavage cells from patients with sarcoidosis

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE WORK: The causes of sarcoidosis are unknown. Propionibacterium acnes is so far the only bacterium to be found in sarcoid lymph nodes. We attempted to detect P. acnes DNA in cells recovered by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) from patients with sarcoidosis. METHODS: BAL cells from 30 patients with histologically proven sarcoidosis and 30 controls with other lung diseases were examined by a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for 16S rRNA of P. acnes. BAL cells from three recent sarcoid patients and two control patients were also examined by in situ PCR to locate P. acnes DNA. Clinical findings in sarcoid patients with and without positive results by PCR were compared. RESULTS: P. acnes DNA was detected in BAL cells from 21 (70%) sarcoid patients and 7 (23%) control patients. In situ signals of P. acnes DNA were detected in the cytoplasm of 0.2% to 2.8% of alveolar macrophages from sarcoid patients, but from no cells of the control patients. Gallium-67 uptake by lung parenchyma was found in about half of the sarcoid patients with P. acnes DNA, but in none of the other sarcoid patients. More of these patients with such DNA had lung parenchymal shadows in chest X-ray films and were in more advanced stages of the disease than the other sarcoid patients. CONCLUSIONS: Detection of P. acnes DNA in BAL cells was significantly more common in the patients with confirmed sarcoidosis. Detection was associated with some indices of disease activity in the lung.     

Fas-FasL-mediated CD4+ T-cell apoptosis following stem cell transplantation.

We report the preferential expression of Fas on CD4+ T cells and Fas ligand (FasL) on monocytes and their potential role in the selective loss of CD4+ T cells in breast cancer patients undergoing high-dose chemotherapy and peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PSCT). A high frequency of apoptotic CD4+ T cells (28-51%) is observed during the first 100 days after PSCT concomitant with a significant increase in monocyte frequency and FasL expression (11.6-23%) on monocytes. The preferential expression of Fas on CD4+ T cells (73-92%) in the peripheral blood (PB) of these patients is associated with a significantly higher frequency of CD4+ T-cell apoptosis compared with CD8+ T cells (28-47%) and CD4+ T cells (46 +/- 5.7%) in normal PB. These data suggest that "primed" Fas+ CD4+ lymphocytes interact with activated monocytes that express FasL, resulting in apoptosis, leading to deletion of CD4+ T cells, an inversion in the CD4:CD8 T-cell ratio, and immune dysfunction. The prevention of CD4+ T-cell apoptosis and improved immune reconstitution by the manipulation of PB stem cell products, blockade of Fas-FasL interactions, or cytokine support after transplantation may be important adjuvant immunotherapeutic strategies in patients undergoing high-dose chemotherapy and PSCT.     

非霍奇金淋巴瘤患者血中CD+4 CD+25 T细胞/CD+4 T细胞比率意义初探

  目的 探讨非霍奇金淋巴瘤（NHL）患者外周血中CD+4 CD+25 T细胞／CD+4 T细胞比率的意义。方法 应用流式细胞技术检测15例健康人、41例初诊NHL患者、16例CTOP方案化疗后完全缓解后的NHL患者及25例化疗后未达到完全缓解的患者单位体积内外周血中CD+4 CD+25 T细胞数量和CD+4 T细胞,计算CD+4 CD+25 T细胞占CD+4 T细胞的比率。结果 初诊NHL患者CD+4 CD+25 T细胞／CD+4 T细胞的比率为（7.54±2.31）％,高于健康者的（4.13±1.25）％（P＜0.05）;化疗完全缓解后NHL患者外周血CD+4 CD+25 T细胞／CD+4 T细胞的比率为（6.26±2.28）％,低于初诊化疗前患者的（7.54±2.31％）（P＜0.05）。化疗后未达到完全缓解患者CD+4 CD+25 T细胞／CD+4 T细胞的比率为（7.85±2.12）％,高于化疗后完全缓解的患者的比率（6.26±2.28）％（P＜0.05）。结论 化疗缓解后的NHL患者外周血中CD+4 CD+25 T细胞／CD+4 T细胞的比率较化疗前及化疗未缓解的患者降低,提示CD+4 CD+25 T细胞／CD+4 T细胞的比率可能与NHL患者免疫功能及治疗效果有关。     

Flow cytometric measurement of intracellular cytokines detects immune responses in MUC1 immunotherapy.

The detection of tumor-specific T cells in immunized cancer patients usually relies on lengthy and difficult CTL assays; we now report on flow cytometry to detect the intracellular cytokines interleukin 2 (IL-2), IL-4, IFN-gamma, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) produced by CD4+CD69+ and CD8+CD69+ activated T cells after MUC1 antigen stimulation. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were obtained from 12 patients with adenocarcinoma injected with mannan-MUC1; cells were exposed in vitro for 18 h to MUCI peptide in the presence of CD28 monoclonal antibody and Brefeldin; permeabilized cells were used for the expression of cytokines. After stimulation in vitro with MUC1-variable number of tandem repeats peptides, CD8+CD69+ T cells from all immunized patients generated 3-9 times higher levels of TNF-alpha(P < 0.038) and IFN-gamma (P <0.010) than did cells from 12 normal subjects; minor increases in IL-4 occurred. By contrast, CD4+CD69+ cells showed no overall alteration in TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma cytokine production, although in some patients, their measurement was informative; the measurement of IL-2 was not useful in either CD4+CD69+ or CD8+CD69+ cells. We conclude that in MUC1-immunized patients, the measurement of TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma in activated CD69+CD8+ T cells may be indicative of their immune status.