Impaired and imbalanced cellular immunological status assessed in advanced cancer patients and restoration of the T cell immune status by adoptive T-cell immunotherapy

• Published in: International immunopharmacology 2014-01, Vol.18 (1), p.90-97
• Main Authors: Noguchi, Atsutaka, Kaneko, Toru, Naitoh, Keiko, Saito, Masashi, Iwai, Kazuro, Maekawa, Ryuji, Kamigaki, Takashi, Goto, Shigenori
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adoptive immunotherapy; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; B-Lymphocytes - immunology; Cell Count; Cells, Cultured; Cytokines - metabolism; Female; Flow cytometry; Health Status; Homeostasis; Humans; Immunity, Cellular; Immunological status; Immunotherapy, Adoptive - methods; Killer Cells, Natural - immunology; Lymphocyte Subsets - immunology; Male; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Staging; Neoplasms - diagnosis; Neoplasms - immunology; T cell; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory - immunology; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 1567-5769; 1878-1705
• DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2013.11.009

Recent progress has been made in understanding the mechanisms of antitumor immune responses, which may further clarify the immune status of cancer patients. In this study, we performed a detailed evaluation of the immunological status of 47 patients with advanced solid cancer, who had received no immunosuppressive treatment, and compared the results with 32 healthy subjects. Flow-cytometry data for peripheral blood were obtained using 19 monoclonal antibodies against various cell surface and intracellular molecules. Absolute numbers of T cells, several T cell subsets, B cells, and NK cells were significantly decreased in patients compared with healthy subjects. The percentage of CD27+CD45RA+ T cells was lower and that of CD27−CD45RA− T cells was higher in patients compared with controls. Regulatory and type 2 helper T cells were elevated in patients relative to healthy subjects. The percentage of perforin+ NK cells was significantly lower in patients than in controls. These results suggest a dysfunctional anti-tumor immune response in cancer patients. Furthermore, peripheral blood from 26 of 47 cancer patients was analyzed after adoptive T cell immunotherapy (ATI). ATI increased the number of T cell subsets, but not B and NK cells. The number and percentage of regulatory T cells decreased significantly. These results suggest that ATI can restore impaired and imbalanced T cell immune status. •Absolute number of T cells decreased significantly in advanced solid cancer patients.•The patients received adoptive T cell immunotherapy (ATI).•After receiving ATI, the number of T cell subsets increased significantly.•After receiving ATI, the number and percentage of Treg cells decreased significantly.•These results suggest that ATI can restore impaired and imbalanced T cell immune status.