Ganglan Fu1,2, Liping Miao1,2, Meng Wang1,2, MingYan Guo1,2, Chengli Wang1,2, Fengtao Ji1,2, Minghui Cao1,2. 1. a Department of Anesthesiology , Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University , Guangzhou , China. 2. b Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation , Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University , Guangzhou , China.
Abstract
PURPOSE: T helper cells play essential roles in anti-tumor immune response. However, the postoperative changes of peripheral T cell subsets and their clinical significance in breast cancer patients remain largely unknown. METHODS: We evaluated the perioperative changes of T lymphocyte subsets in invasive breast cancer (IBC) patients and breast fibroadenoma (BF) patients preoperatively (preop) and 6, 24, 72 hours postoperatively (POH6, POH24, and POH72). Proportions of CD3, CD4, CD8, T helper (Th) 1, Th2, Th17 cells, regulatory T cells (Treg), and CD4+/CD8+, Th1/Th2 ratio were detected by flow cytometry. Changes in T helper cell quantity were correlated to clinicopathological parameters. Furthermore, we explored the association between the perioperative variations of T cell subsets and disease-free survival (DFS) of IBC patients. RESULTS: In IBC patients, Th1 cells diminished while Tregs elevated in postoperative 72 hours in the peripheral blood. In contrast, no significant perioperative changes of T cell subsets were observed in BF patients. Postoperative lower Th1 cells at POH 72 of IBC patients were correlated with greater tumor burden, HER2 positive and Ki67 positive. The increased Tregs at POH 72 of IBC patients were correlated with larger tumor size and HER2 positive. Th1 cell decline and Treg increment were both associated with shorter DFS in IBC patients. CONCLUSIONS: The variations of peripheral T helper cell subsets showed postoperative immunosuppression and were associated with poor prognosis in IBC patients.
PURPOSE: T helper cells play essential roles in anti-tumor immune response. However, the postoperative changes of peripheral T cell subsets and their clinical significance in breast cancerpatients remain largely unknown. METHODS: We evaluated the perioperative changes of T lymphocyte subsets in invasive breast cancer (IBC) patients and breast fibroadenoma (BF) patients preoperatively (preop) and 6, 24, 72 hours postoperatively (POH6, POH24, and POH72). Proportions of CD3, CD4, CD8, T helper (Th) 1, Th2, Th17 cells, regulatory T cells (Treg), and CD4+/CD8+, Th1/Th2 ratio were detected by flow cytometry. Changes in T helper cell quantity were correlated to clinicopathological parameters. Furthermore, we explored the association between the perioperative variations of T cell subsets and disease-free survival (DFS) of IBC patients. RESULTS: In IBC patients, Th1 cells diminished while Tregs elevated in postoperative 72 hours in the peripheral blood. In contrast, no significant perioperative changes of T cell subsets were observed in BF patients. Postoperative lower Th1 cells at POH 72 of IBC patients were correlated with greater tumor burden, HER2 positive and Ki67 positive. The increased Tregs at POH 72 of IBC patients were correlated with larger tumor size and HER2 positive. Th1 cell decline and Treg increment were both associated with shorter DFS in IBC patients. CONCLUSIONS: The variations of peripheral T helper cell subsets showed postoperative immunosuppression and were associated with poor prognosis in IBC patients.
Entities:
Keywords:
Disease-free survival; T lymphocyte subsets; invasive breast cancer; postoperative immunosuppression