Preliminary Study of the Effect of Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) on the Immune System in Lung Cancer Patients Unfit for Surgery: Immunophenotyping Analysis

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences 2018-12, Vol.19 (12), p.3963
• Main Authors: Navarro-Martín, Arturo, Galiana, Isabel Linares, Berenguer Frances, Miguel A, Cacicedo, Jon, Cañas Cortés, Rut, Comas Anton, Silvia, Padrones Sánchez, Susana, Bolívar Cuevas, Santiago, Parry, Renate, Guedea Edo, Ferran
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cancer therapies; CD25 antigen; CD4 antigen; CD56 antigen; cytotoxic T lymphocytes; Cytotoxicity; Flow cytometry; Foxp3 protein; Genotype & phenotype; Immune system; immunomodulation; immunophenotyping; Immunoregulation; Immunotherapy; Lung cancer; Lymphocytes; Lymphocytes T; Melanoma; Metastasis; Monocytes; myeloid-derived suppressor cells; natural killer (NK) cells; Natural killer cells; non-small cell lung cancer; Patients; Peripheral blood; Radiation therapy; regulatory T cells; stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT); Suppressor cells; Surgery; Systematic review; T helper lymphocytes
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms19123963

An immunophenotyping analysis was performed in peripheral blood samples from seven patients with lung cancer unfit for surgery treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). The objective was to characterize the effect of SBRT on the host immune system. Four patients received 60 Gy (7.5 Gy × 8) and three 50 Gy (12.5 Gy × 4). Analyses were performed before SBRT, 72 h after SBRT, and at one, three, and six months after the end of SBRT. Of note, there was a specific increase of the immunoactive component of the immune system, with elevation of CD56 CD16+ natural killer (NK) cells (0.95% at baseline to 1.38% at six months), and a decrease of the immunosuppressive component of the immune system, with decreases of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+CDA5RA- regulatory T cells (4.97% at baseline to 4.46% at six months), granulocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells (G-MDSCs) (from 66.1% at baseline to 62.6% at six months) and monocytic (Mo-MDSCs) (8.2% at baseline to 6.2% at six months). These changes were already apparent at 72 h and persisted over six months. SBRT showed an effect on systemic immune cell populations, which is a relevant finding for supporting future combinations of SBRT with immunotherapy for treating lung cancer patients.