Polyfunctionality of CD4+ T lymphocytes is increased after chemoradiotherapy of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

• Published in: Strahlentherapie und Onkologie 2018-05, Vol.194 (5), p.392-402
• Main Authors: Doescher, J., Jeske, S., Weissinger, S. E., Brunner, C., Laban, S., Bölke, E., Hoffmann, T. K., Whiteside, T. L., Schuler, P. J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Blood; Chemotherapy; Cytokines; Cytometry; Flow cytometry; Head & neck cancer; Immune system; Immunotherapy; Lymphocytes; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Oncology; Original Article; Patients; Radiation therapy; Radiotherapy; Squamous cell carcinoma; T cell receptors
• ISSN: 0179-7158; 1439-099X
• DOI: 10.1007/s00066-018-1289-z

Background For head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC), standard therapy consists of surgery, radiation, and/or chemotherapy. Antineoplastic immunotherapy could be an option in an adjuvant setting and is already in palliation. A functional immune system is a prerequisite for successful immunotherapy. However, effects of the standard-of-care therapy on the patients’ immune system are not fully understood. Methods Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were collected from patients with HNSCC ( n  = 37) and healthy controls ( n  = 10). PBMC were stimulated with staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB). Simultaneous expression of various cytokines was measured in CD4 + and CD8 + T cells by multicolor flow cytometry, and polyfunctional cytokine expression profiles were determined on a single-cell basis. Results Expression levels of all measured cytokines in CD4 + T cells were higher in patients after chemoradiotherapy (CRT) as compared to untreated HNSCC patients or normal controls. After CRT, the frequency of polyfunctional CD4 + T cells, which simultaneously expressed multiple cytokines, was significantly increased as compared to untreated patients ( p