Plasmacytoid dendritic cells induce CD8+ regulatory T cells in human ovarian carcinoma

To directly dissect the role of each immune component in human tumor immunopathogenesis, we have studied the interaction between dendritic cells and T cells in the tumor environment of patients with ovarian carcinoma. We previously reported that functional plasmacytoid dendritic cells, but not functionally mature myeloid dendritic cells, accumulated in tumor microenvironments. We now show that tumor ascites macrophage-derived dendritic cells induced tumor-associated antigen-specific CD8+ T cells with effector functions. Strikingly, tumor ascites plasmacytoid dendritic cells induced interleukin-10+ CCR7+ CD45RO+ CD8+ regulatory T cells. Four characteristics have been identified in tumor plasmacytoid dendritic cell-induced CD8+ regulatory T cells: (a) induction of CD8+ regulatory T cells is independent of CD4+ CD25+ T cells; (b) CD8+ regulatory T cells significantly suppress myeloid dendritic cell-mediated tumor-associated antigen-specific T cell effector functions through interleukin-10; (c) repetitive myeloid dendritic cell stimulation can recover CD8+ regulatory T cell-mediated poor T cell proliferation, but not T cell effector function; (d) CD8+ regulatory T cells express functional CCR7, and efficiently migrate with lymphoid homing chemokine MIP-3beta. Primary suppressive CCR7+ CD45RO+ CD8+ T cells are found in the tumor environment of patients with ovarian cancers. Thus, tumor-associated plasmacytoid dendritic cells contribute to the tumor environmental immunosuppressive network. Collectively, tumors manipulate tumor microenvironmental dendritic cell subset distribution and function to subvert tumor immunity. The data are relevant to understanding tumor immunopathology as well as reevaluating tumor immunotherapeutic strategies.     

原发性肝癌患者CD4+CD25+CD127low调节性T细胞的检测及意义

探讨CD4+CD25+CD127low调节性T细胞（Tregs）在原发性肝细胞性肝癌（HCC）患者外周血中的变化及其临床意义。方法:采集40例乙型肝炎病毒（HBV）相关的HCC患者［巴塞罗那临床肝癌（BCLC）分期A期患者7例、B期患者8例、C期患者20例、D期患者5例］、35例慢性乙型肝炎（CHB）患者及28例正常健康人的外周抗凝血,应用CD4（PE-CY5）、CD25（FITC）、CD127（PE）三种特异性荧光抗体标记后,通过流式细胞术对CD4+CD25+CD127lowTregs水平进行三色荧光抗体检测。结果:HCC患者外周血CD4+CD25+CD127lowTregs占CD4+T细胞的百分比显著高于正常健康人（P<0.001）和CHB患者（P=0.017）,CHB患者外周血CD4+CD25+CD127lowTregs占CD4+T细胞的百分比高于正常健康人（P=0.035）;HCC中BCLC分期为C期的患者外周血CD4+CD25+CD127lowTregs占CD4+T细胞的百分比显著高于A期患者（P=0.020）和B期患者（P=0.019）。结论:CD4+CD25+CD127lowTregs水平异常增高可能是HCC免疫逃逸的一个重要机制,且其变化水平与临床病情的进展存在一定的相关性。      

肝癌微环境中CD4+CD25+Treg细胞与肿瘤免疫细胞的关系

[目的]探讨肝癌微环境中Treg细胞的数量增多与HCC临床分期晚的可能原因。[方法]双重酶标免疫组织化学方法检测52例HCC组织中CD4^＋CD25＋Treg细胞以及CD4^＋CD25-T（CD4^＋T）细胞分布，免疫组化EnVision法检测20例HCC组织中CD8＋T细胞分布。[结果]正常肝脏组织中未发现Treg细胞。HCC组织中Treg细胞数量较癌旁组织明显增多（P=0．000），且肝癌组织中Treg细胞的数量与其浸润性CD4＋T淋巴细胞的数量以及CD4＋T/CD8^＋T比值呈显著负相关（r=-0．539，P=0．014；r=-0．545，P=0．000），而与浸润性CD8^＋T淋巴细胞的数量无明显相关性（f=-0．403，P=0．078）。[结论]Treg细胞在体内可能通过细胞接触的方式抑制CD8^＋T淋巴细胞的增殖来抑制肿瘤局部的免疫，去除或减少HCC微环境中浸润件Tree细胞数量可能提高肿瘤局部免疫治疗效果。     

监测肾癌患者外周血CD4~+CD25~+调节性T细胞在术后免疫治疗中的作用

目的:探讨肾癌患者外周血CD4+CD25+T淋巴细胞的监测在术后辅助免疫治疗中的作用。方法:将24例肾癌患者随机分为两组:A组,根治性肾切除术后行IFN-α辅助免疫治疗;B组,单纯行根治性肾切除术;C组,10例健康对照。分别在术前、术后1周以及术后3个月免疫治疗结束时采集外周血样本,流式细胞仪检测CD4+、CD8+、CD4+CD25、CD4+CD25high T淋巴细胞亚群含量,并计算各部分比值。结果:A、B组术前CD4+CD25+、CD4+CD25high T淋巴细胞亚群总体上增加,并且其含量随肿瘤分期的进展而增加(P<0.05),但部分患者并不高于健康对照组。免疫治疗后,肾癌患者CD4+CD25+T淋巴细胞总体略有上升,但术前较高的患者中,约2/3下降。结论:利用流式细胞仪监测肾癌患者外周血CD4+CD25+T淋巴细胞亚群可反映机体抗肿瘤免疫状态,有助于预测免疫治疗的预后,为肾癌尤其是早期肾癌术后辅助免疫治疗的选择提供参考。     

Tumor-derived CD4+CD25+ Tregs Inhibit the Maturation and Antigen-Presenting Function of Dendritic Cells

CD4+CD25+regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a key role in regulation of immnue response and maintenance ofself-tolerance. Studies have found Tregs could suppress tumor-specific T cell-mediated immune response andpromote cancer progression. Depletion of Tregs can enhance antitumor immunity. Dendritic cells (DCs) areprofessional antigen-presenting cells and capable of activating antigen-specific immune responses, which makethem ideal candidate for cancer immunotherapy. Now various DC vaccines are considered as effective treatmentfor cancers. The aim of this study was to evaluate variation of Tregs in BALB/C mice with hepatocellular carcinomaand investigate the interaction between tumor-derived Tregs, effector T cells (Teff) and splenic DCs. We foundthe percentages of Tregs/CD4+ in the peripheral blood of tumor-bearing mice were higher than in normal mice.Tumor-derived Tregs diminished the up-regulation of costimulatory molecule expression on splenic DCs, evenin the presence of Teff cells and simultaneously inhibited IL-12 and TNF-α secretion by DCs.     

A high proportion of bone marrow T cells with regulatory phenotype (CD4+CD25hiFoxP3+) in Ewing sarcoma patients is associated with metastatic disease

Immunosuppressive CD4+CD25^hiFoxP3+ T cells (T_reg cells) have been found at increased densities within the tumor microenvironment in many malignancies and interfere with protective antitumor immune responses. Osseous Ewing sarcomas (ESs) are thought to derive from a bone marrow (BM) mesenchymal cell of origin, and microscopic marrow involvement defines a subpopulation of patients at a high risk of relapse. We hypothesized that BM‐resident T cells may contribute to a permissive milieu for immune escape of ESs. Using 6‐color‐flow cytometry, we investigated the pattern of immune cell subset distribution including NK cells, γδ T cells, central and effector memory CD8+ and CD4+ T cells as well as T cells with regulatory phenotype (T_reg cells) in BM obtained at diagnosis from 45 primary or relapsed ES patients treated within standardized protocols. Although patients at relapse had an inverted CD4:CD8 T‐cell ratio, neither CD8+ effector/memory T‐cell subsets nor T_reg cells significantly differed from patients at diagnosis. No significant associations of innate and effector/memory T‐cell subpopulations with known risk factors were found, including age, gender, tumor site, primary metastases and histological tumor response. By contrast, T_reg cells were found at significantly higher frequencies in patients with primary metastatic disease compared with localized ESs (5.0 vs. 3.3%, p = 0.01). Thus, increased BM T_reg cells in patients with metastasized ES may reflect an immune escape mechanism that contributes to the development of metastatic disease. Immunotherapeutic strategies will have to adequately consider the regulatory milieu within areas of Ewing tumor‐immune interactions. © 2009 UICC     

外周T细胞淋巴瘤患者中PD-1的表达对CD45RA+、CD45RO+T细胞的影响

目的:探讨外周T细胞淋巴瘤(PTCL)患者淋巴瘤组织中PD-1的表达与外周血中初始和记忆T细胞水平的关系.方法:20例PTCL患者采用免疫组化法检测淋巴瘤组织中PD-1的表达,采用流式细胞术检测CHOP方案化疗前后外周血中CD4+CD45RA+、CD4+CD45RO+、CD8+CD45RA+和CD8+CD45RO+T细胞的比例,分析PD-1的表达与T细胞亚群的关系.结果:PD-1、PD-L1蛋白在PTCL患者中表达升高,PD-1阳性患者疗效较差.PD-1阳性患者中CD4+T细胞、CD8+T细胞明显低于PD-1阴性患者;PD-1阴性组患者CD4+CD45RO+、CD8+CD45RA+、 CD8+CD45RO+T细胞明显高于PD-1阳性患者,差异有统计学意义.结论:PTCL患者中存在PD-1/PD-L1蛋白的表达异常,PD-1阳性患者存在更明显的T细胞免疫功能缺陷.     

CD1c+ and CD303+ dendritic cells in peripheral blood, lymph nodes and tumor tissue of patients with non-small cell lung cancer

Dendritic cells (DCs) are the most potent antigen presenting cells, which can stimulate a cellular immune response against malignant tumor cells. Many authors have described the phenomenon of tumor infiltration by dendritic cells and emphasized an immunosuppressive tumor influence on DC function. In the present study, we examined the presence of myeloid CD1c+ (BDCA-1+) dendritic cells and lymphoid/plasmacytoid CD303+ (BDCA-2+) dendritic cells in peripheral blood, lymph nodes and cancer tissue of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Fifty male patients treated surgically for NSCLC stages I-IIIa without neoadjuvant chemotherapy were included. Employing a multiparameter flow cytometry for CD1c, CD19, CD123 and CD303, we observed an accumulation of immature DCs in the tissues involved in the neoplasmatic process with the predominance of lymphoid/plasmacytoid over myeloid DCs. Moreover, in peripheral blood NSCLC patients had a significantly lower percentage of CD1c+ DCs than healthy donors. Our results suggest that NSCLC cells might hamper the maturation of DCs, thus escaping an efficient immune response.     

胃癌患者调节性T细胞胞内外细胞因子的检测及其意义

背景与目的:目前认为CD4 CD25 调节性T细胞与胃癌患者的免疫功能抑制密切相关,但CD4 CD25 调节性T细胞发挥免疫抑制功能的作用机制并不十分清楚.本研究通过检测胃癌患者CD4 CD25 调节性T细胞产生具有不同生物活性的细胞因子干扰素-γ(interferon-γ,IFN-γ)、白介素4(interleukin-4,IL-4)、IL-10及肿瘤生长因子-β(tumor growth factor-β,TGF-β)的分泌情况,进一步探讨这些细胞因子在胃癌患者CD4 CD25 调节性T细胞发挥免疫抑制功能的作用.方法:按常规方法制备患者外周血单个核淋巴细胞,采用免疫磁珠分选方法分离CD4 CD25 T细胞及CD4 CD25-T细胞后,用细胞内细胞因子染色法及ELISA法分别研究CD4 CD25 T细胞在胞内及胞外产生具有不同生物活性的细胞因子IFN-γ、IL-4、IL-1O及TGF-β的水平.结果:(1)与健康对照组比较,胃癌患者分泌内细胞因子IFN-γ、IL-4及IL-10的CD4 CD25 T细胞占CD4 细胞的百分比均显著增高(P＜0.05).(2)培养96 h后,上清液的各种细胞因子水平,无论是胃癌患者还是健康对照组,CD4 CD25 T细胞分泌的IL-10及TGF-β均显著高于CD4 CD25-T细胞(P＜0.05).CD4 CD25 T细胞分泌的IFN-γ显著低于CD4 CD25-T细胞(P＜0.05).结论:CD4 CD25 调节性T细胞体外免疫抑制作用的发挥可能与一些抑制性细胞因子有关,特别是细胞因子TGF-β在胃癌CD4 CD25 调节性T细胞的免疫抑制功能中起着相当重要的作用.     

Proportion of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cell is increased in the patients with ovarian carcinoma

Objective: To study the frequency of the CD4⁺CD25⁺ regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the patients with ovarian carcinoma and its possible mechanism. Methods: The percentages of CD4⁺CD25⁺ Tregs in the peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs), tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and tumor associated lymphocytes (TALs) from 13 patients with ovarian carcinoma and in the PBLs from 14 healthy women were determined by flow cytometry. The expression of CD69 on CD4⁺PBLs from the patients was detected. PBLs from healthy women were cultured in complete RPMI 1640 containing the supernatant from SKOV3 cell line with or without PHA (phytohemagglutinin) stimulation for 72 hours, then the percentage of CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells was detected. Results: CD4⁺CD25⁺ Tregs in the PBLs from patients with ovarian carcinoma were significantly increased compared with those from the control. The percentage of CD4⁺CD25⁺ Tregs in TILs was higher than that in PBLs and TALs from the patients, but not significantly. The expression of CD69 on CD4⁺PBLs from the patients was negative. The percentages of CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells in PBLs cultured with SKOV3 supernatant elevated significantly compared with those without supernatant whether PHA was added or not (P = 0.001 and 0.001, respectively). Conclusion: There is an increasing of the proportion of CD4⁺CD25⁺ Tregs in PBLs, TILs and TALs of the patients with ovarian carcinoma, which probably results from up-regulation of soluble factor secreted by ovarian carcinoma cells.     

Anti-CD40-induced inflammatory E-cadherin+ dendritic cells enhance T cell responses and antitumour immunity in murine Lewis lung carcinoma

Background

Agonistic CD40 antibodies have been demonstrated to activate antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and enhance antitumour T cell responses, thereby providing a new therapeutic option in cancer immunotherapy. In agonistic CD40 antibody-mediated inflammatory responses, a novel subset of E-cadherin + dendritic cells (DCs) has been identified, and little is known about the role of these DCs in tumour immunity. This study investigated the effect of anti-CD40-mediated inflammatory E-cadherin + DCs in murine Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC).

Methods

The phenotype and characteristics of anti-CD40-mediated inflammatory E-cadherin + DCs isolated from the anti-CD40 model were assessed in vitro. The antitumour activity of E-cadherin + DCs were evaluated in vivo by promoting the differentiation of effector CD4+ T cells, CEA-specific CD8+ T cells and CD103+ CD8+ T cells and assessing their resistance to tumour challenge, including variations in tumour volume and survival curves.

Results

Here, we demonstrated that anti-CD40-mediated E-cadherin + inflammatory DCs accumulate in the lungs of Rag1 KO mice and were able to stimulate naïve CD4+ T cells to induce Th1 and Th17 cell differentiation and polarisation and to inhibit regulatory T cell and Th2 responses. Importantly, with the adoptive transfer of E-cadherin + DCs into the Lewis lung cancer model, the inflammatory DCs increased the Th1 and Th17 cell responses and reduced the Treg cell and Th2 responses. Interestingly, following the injection of inflammatory E-cadherin + DCs, the CD103+ CD8+ T cell and CEA-specific CD8+ T cell responses increased and exhibited potent antitumour immunity.

Conclusions

These findings indicate that anti-CD40-induced E-cadherin + DCs enhance T cell responses and antitumour activity in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)-bearing mice and may be used to enhance the efficacy of DC-based peptide vaccines against NSCLC.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13046-015-0126-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

非小细胞肺癌患者引流区淋巴结中CD4+CD25+调节性T细胞的检测及临床意义

目的分析非小细胞肺癌(NSCLC)患者引流区淋巴结中CD4 CD25 调节性T细胞在淋巴结局部免疫抑制状态的形成以及在肺癌发生发展中的作用。方法手术切除53例NSCLC患者引流区淋巴结,采用双标记的间接免疫荧光法检测CD4 CD25 调节性T细胞数量,实时荧光定量逆转录-聚合酶链反应(RT-PCR)法检测细胞因子TGF-β1、IL-10的表达水平,常规免疫组化方法检测CD8 T细胞的数量。结果NSCLC患者引流区转移淋巴结中,CD4 CD25 调节性T细胞(28.80%±8.06%)明显高于未转移淋巴结(15.48%±4.66%,P<0.01)。随肺癌的进展,引流区淋巴结中CD4 CD25 调节性T细胞数量增多。在转移的纵隔淋巴结(N2)和肺内淋巴结(N1)中,CD4 CD25 调节性T细胞数量分别为32.58%±7.52%和22.76%±4.67%(P<0.01)。在进展期(Ⅲ)和早期(Ⅰ Ⅱ)NSCLC患者引流区淋巴结中,CD4 CD25 调节性T细胞数量分别为30.42%±7.47%和16.22%±4.88%(P< 0.01)。NSCLC患者引流区淋巴结中的CD4 CD25 调节性T细胞数量与其自身的CD8 T细胞的数量呈负相关(r=-0.756,P<0.001)。在NSCLC患者引流区淋巴结中,CD4 CD25 调节性T细胞数量与抑制性细胞因子TGF-β1和IL-10的表达水平呈正相关(TGF-β1:r=0.645,P<0.001;IL-10:r=0.769,P<0.001)。结论NSGLC患者引流区淋巴结的CD4 CD25 调节性T细胞数量与肺癌的发展密切相关。一方面,检测肺癌患者引流区淋巴结的免疫状况为评价NSCLC患者疾病的进展程度和预后提供了一个新的免疫学指标;另一方面,在NSCLC的生物治疗中,控制CD4 CD25 调节性T细胞数量,阻断其发挥免疫抑制作用,具有广阔的临床应用前景。     

CD+4CD+25调节性T细胞与肿瘤免疫

 近期研究发现一个有独特免疫调节功能的T细胞亚群：CD+4 CD+25调节性T细胞,不仅能抑制自身免疫性疾病发生,还参与肿瘤免疫的调节。这群细胞具有免疫无能和免疫抑制特性,与肿瘤免疫逃逸有密切的关系。肿瘤环境中CD+4 CD+25调节性T细胞增加,导致肿瘤免疫失调,去除这群细胞可有效诱导肿瘤免疫,为肿瘤治疗提供了一种新的思路。     

CD1a标记树突细胞在声门型喉鳞癌中的表达及其临床意义

背景与目的:树突细胞(dendriticcell,DC)是最重要的抗原呈递细胞(antigenpresentingcell,APC),而CD1a作为未成熟DC的标记物,在肿瘤的发生及发展过程中有一定的影响。本文旨在探讨CD1a DC与声门型喉癌病理分级、T分期及局部复发的关系,从而间接了解它与预后的关系。方法:收集111例有完整病理资料及临床随诊资料的声门型喉鳞癌病例,并取17例非肿瘤组织做对照。用免疫组化技术检测CD1a DC在癌组织中的表达,分析癌组织中CD1a DC在不同病理分级、T分期及局部复发组织中的表达,间接了解其与声门型喉鳞癌预后的关系。结果:111例声门型喉鳞癌病例中,CD1a阳性率为59.46%(66/111);高分化组阳性率为71.43%(55/77),中低分化组阳性率为28.57%(11/34);T1 T2组阳性率为67.16%(45/67),T3 T4组阳性率为47.73%(21/44)。局部复发组阳性率为42.86%(12/28),局部无复发组阳性率为65.06%(54/83)。17例非肿瘤组织中CD1a均为阴性。结论:声门型喉鳞癌中,肿瘤细胞分化越差,T分期越高,则CD1a标记树突细胞阳性率越低。局部复发者CD1a DC阳性率低。CD1a可作为预测声门型喉鳞癌预后的参考指标之一。     

Increased populations of regulatory T cells in peripheral blood of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common cancer worldwide with a poor prognosis and one for which immunotherapy remains a viable option. Experimental tumor models have shown that regulatory T cells, a functionally unique subset of T cells, can suppress effective antitumor immune responses. This suppression might explain the poor outcome of some of the immunotherapy protocols currently being used. A better understanding of the role of regulatory T cells in HCC is important for design of future immunotherapy-based clinical protocols. We have studied regulatory T cells from 84 patients with HCC and 74 controls, including healthy donors, patients with chronic hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infection and nonviral liver cirrhosis. Regulatory T cells were identified by fluorescence-activated cell sorting using a panel of antibodies and by real-time PCR analysis for Foxp3 expression. Functional studies were done to analyze their inhibitory role. Finally, regulatory T cells were analyzed in tumors and ascites from patients with HCC. Patients with HCC have increased numbers of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells in their peripheral blood, which express high levels of HLA-DR, GITR, and low or no CD45RA. These cells were anergic toward T-cell receptor stimulation and, when cocultured with activated CD4+CD25- cells, potently suppressed their proliferation and cytokine secretion. There were also high numbers of regulatory T cells in tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes of HCC patients comparable with the increase in their peripheral blood. Our data suggest that the increase in frequency of regulatory T cells might play a role in modulation of the immune response against HCC and could be important in design of immunotherapeutic approaches.     

原发性肝细胞癌微环境中CD4^＋CD25^＋调节性T细胞分布与局部免疫的关系

目的通过检测原发性肝细胞癌（hepatocellular carcinoma,HCC）局部肝癌组织和癌旁组织中T细胞亚群的分布情况,探讨在肝癌发生、发展过程中CD4^＋CD25^＋调节性T细胞与局部免疫状态的关系。方法54例肝癌组织和癌旁组织及10例正常肝组织用免疫组织化学S—P法标记CD4^＋T细胞、CD8^＋T细胞及CD4^＋CD25^＋调节性T细胞（CD4^＋CD25^＋Tr细胞）,并对组织中CD4^＋CD25^＋Tr细胞与CD4^＋T、CD8^＋T及CD4^＋T／CD8^＋T值进行相关性分析。结果54例肝癌、癌旁组织中CD4^＋CD25^＋Tr细胞单个高倍视野平均数分别为5．6208±2．7235和3．8554±1．6018（P=0．001）;肝癌中CD4^＋CD25^＋Tr细胞数目与肿瘤大小、有无子灶有关,组间差异有显著性（P〈0．01）;肝癌中CD4^＋CD25^＋Tr数量与CD4^＋T细胞的数量以及CD4^＋T／CD8^＋T值呈显著负相关（r=-0．459,P=0．015;r=-0．563,P=0．011）,而与浸润性CD8^＋T细胞的数量分布无关（r=-0．485,P=0．072）。结论在肝癌微环境中CD4^＋T淋巴细胞表达降低,CD4^＋CD25^＋Tr细胞表达增高,后者可能通过抑制CD4^＋T淋巴细胞的增殖来抑制肝癌局部免疫,从而促进肿瘤的进展以及侵袭或转移。     

CD4~+ CD25~+调节性T细胞及其在肿瘤免疫治疗中的意义

CD4+CD25+调节性T细胞是具有独特免疫调节功能的T细胞亚群。近年来研究发现各种恶性肿瘤患者外周血及肿瘤环境中该细胞比例增加,去除CD4+CD25+调节性T细胞或封闭其抑制功能可以增强抗肿瘤免疫反应。CD4+CD25+调节性T细胞成为肿瘤免疫治疗的新靶点。     

117例肝癌患者外周血调节T细胞水平及其临床意义

背景与目的:CD4 CD25 T细胞又称为调节性T细胞(Treg),是一群具有免疫抑制功能的T细胞亚群.近来的研究表明Treg能够显著地抑制免疫反应,导致肿瘤细胞的免疫耐受.然而,Treg在肝癌临床中的意义目前尚未阐明.本研究旨在探讨Treg水平与肝癌临床病理特征及预后的关系.方法:采用前瞻性研究设计,117例原发性肝癌患者于1999年1月至2000年12月住院且首次行肝癌根治性手术切除,术前用流式细胞仪检测其外周血Treg水平.术后随访至2005年12月30日.分析外周血Treg水平与肝癌临床病理特征及生存率的关系.40例正常对照来自健康献血者.结果:肝癌患者外周血中Treg的水平为(12.54±4.69)%,正常对照组为(8.81±1.98)%,两者比较差异有显著统计学意义(P＜0.01).全组1、3、5年生存率分别为83.8%、49.6%、35.9%.在单个病灶的患者中,Treg水平与肿瘤的边界有关,肿瘤边界不清楚者Treg水平显著增高;外周血Treg水平与其它临床病理特征无关.外周血Treg水平增高的患者预后差.结论:肝癌患者外周血Treg比例升高是影响预后的独立危险因素.     

Altered cytokine levels and increased CD4+CD57+ T cells in the peripheral blood of hepatitis C virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma patients

Although CD57+ lymphocytes are closely correlated with prognosis in various cancers, the role of subsets of CD57+ cells in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unclear. In the present study, peripheral blood (PB) from HCV-related HCC patients was analyzed. Plasma cytokine levels and in vitro cytokine-producing capabilities were analyzed with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, and CD57+ cell subsets were studied using a multi-color FACS system. Interferon (IFN)-γ was undetectable in the plasma of patients with tumors at any stage, whereas the plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-18, but not that of IL-12, were significantly higher in stage IV patients compared to patients with earlier-stage tumors. In contrast, the IFN-γ-producing capability of PB was highest in stage I patients and gradually decreased with tumor progression. The IL-10-, IL-18- and IL-12-producing capabilities of PB increased from stage I to III. However, PB-TNF-α, IL-10- and IL-18-producing capabilities were reduced in stage IV patients, probably due to repeated anti-cancer treatments. The percentage of CD4+CD57+αβTCR+ cells (CD4+CD57+ T cells) in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) increased with tumor progression. Moreover, the percentage of CD4+CD57+ T cells in PBLs and the ratio of CD4+CD57+ T cells to CD4+αβTCR+ cells (CD4+ T cells), but not that of CD4+CD57+ T cells to CD57+αβTCR+ cells (CD57+ T cells), showed a significant inverse correlation with PB-IFN-γ-producing capability. The present results suggest that an increase in CD4+CD57+ T cells controls the capability of PB to produce the anti-tumor cytokine IFN-γ and that PB-IFN-γ production is impaired with HCC tumor progression.     

The role of human glioma-infiltrating microglia/macrophages in mediating antitumor immune responses

Little is known about the immune performance and interactions of CNS microglia/macrophages in glioma patients. We found that microglia/macrophages were the predominant immune cell infiltrating gliomas ( approximately 1% of total cells); others identified were myeloid dendritic cells (DCs), plasmacytoid DCs, and T cells. We isolated and analyzed the immune functions of CD11b/c+CD45+ glioma-infiltrating microglia/macrophages (GIMs) from postoperative tissue specimens of glioma patients. Although GIMs expressed substantial levels of Toll-like receptors (TLRs), they did not appear stimulated to produce pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin 1, or interleukin 6), and in vitro, lipopolysaccharides could bind TLR-4 but could not induce GIM-mediated T-cell proliferation. Despite surface major histocompatibility complex class II expression, they lacked expression of the costimulatory molecules CD86, CD80, and CD40 critical for T-cell activation. Ex vivo, we demonstrate a corresponding lack of effector/activated T cells, as glioma-infiltrating CD8+ T cells were phenotypically CD8+CD25-. By contrast, there was a prominent population of regulatory CD4 T cells (CD4+CD25+FOXP3+) infiltrating the tumor. We conclude that while GIMs may have a few intact innate immune functions, their capacity to be stimulated via TLRs, secrete cytokines, upregulate costimulatory molecules, and in turn activate antitumor effector T cells is not sufficient to initiate immune responses. Furthermore, the presence of regulatory T cells may also contribute to the lack of effective immune activation against malignant human gliomas.