Deguan Li1, Yong Guan2, Yinping Dong1, Jing Wu1, Yuanyang Zhang1, Renxiang Chen3, Yun-Tien Lin3, Albert J Fornace3,4, Heng-Hong Li3,4, Zhiyong Yuan2. 1. Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China. 2. Department of Radiation Oncology, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin's Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin, China. 3. Department of Oncology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA. 4. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular & Cellular Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA.
Abstract
PURPOSE: This study assesses changes of circulating leukocyte subpopulations and the expression of checkpoint receptors in T cells in patients undergoing radiochemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-seven patients with either esophageal cancer or cervical cancer who received radiochemotherapy were recruited into this study. Serial blood collection was carried out before and during treatments. Leukocyte subpopulations and the level of PD-1 and CTLA-4 in T cells were determined by flow cytometry. The plasma concentrations of 34 human cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors were quantified. RESULTS: Significant decreases of lymphocyte count and percentage of T cells and B cells were observed during radiochemotherapy. Percentages of PD-1hi and CTLA-4hi populations in T cells increased after treatments. Proportion of activated T cells showed no significant difference. No significant changes in the plasma concentrations of the 34 humoral mediators except mild decreases of six cytokines. CONCLUSION: Elevated expression of PD-1 and CTLA-4 in T cells in patients receiving radiochemotherapy, which suggests that exhaustion-like T-cell dysfunction develops during cancer cytotoxic treatments.
PURPOSE: This study assesses changes of circulating leukocyte subpopulations and the expression of checkpoint receptors in T cells in patients undergoing radiochemotherapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-seven patients with either esophageal cancer or cervical cancer who received radiochemotherapy were recruited into this study. Serial blood collection was carried out before and during treatments. Leukocyte subpopulations and the level of PD-1 and CTLA-4 in T cells were determined by flow cytometry. The plasma concentrations of 34 human cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors were quantified. RESULTS: Significant decreases of lymphocyte count and percentage of T cells and B cells were observed during radiochemotherapy. Percentages of PD-1hi and CTLA-4hi populations in T cells increased after treatments. Proportion of activated T cells showed no significant difference. No significant changes in the plasma concentrations of the 34 humoral mediators except mild decreases of six cytokines. CONCLUSION: Elevated expression of PD-1 and CTLA-4 in T cells in patients receiving radiochemotherapy, which suggests that exhaustion-like T-cell dysfunction develops during cancer cytotoxic treatments.
Entities:
Keywords:
Radiochemotherapy; cancer; checkpoint; circulating T cells