Intracellular CTLA4 and regulatory T cells in patients with laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma

Immunol Invest. 2013;42(2):81-90. doi: 10.3109/08820139.2012.708376. Epub 2012 Dec 19.

Abstract

To explore if the increased percentages of Regulatory T (Treg) cells, as well as, overexpression of Cytotoxic T-Lymphocyte Antigen-4 (CTLA-4) are involved in laryngeal-squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), 45 patients with laryngeal-SCC and 27 healthy controls were enrolled. Flow cytometry was performed to investigate, in the peripheral blood, the prevalence of CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ Treg cells, as well as, surface and intracellular expression of CTLA-4 by the main lymphocyte subsets (CD4+, CD8+ and CD19+). The results indicated intracellular (In)CTLA4 with considerable higher expression in the CD8+ lymphocytes among patients with laryngeal-SCC compared with the control group (8.2 ± 8.7 versus 2.3 ± 3.5, P = 0.001). The mean percentage of InCTLA4+CD4+ and InCTLA4+CD19+ lymphocytes was also significantly higher in patients (8.7 ± 7.8 versus 4.4 ± 4.2, P = 0.018 and 0.6 ± 0.8 versus 0.2 ± 0.2, P = 0.024, respectively). With respect to surface (Sur)CTLA4, the difference between patients and controls was, however, significant only in the case of CD8+ lymphocytes (0.7 ± 0.6 versus 0.3 ± 0.3, P = 0.003, respectively). The percentage of Treg cells was observed to be significantly higher in patients (7.5 ± 6.3 and 3.2 ± 1.9, P < 0.0001). Furthermore, association analysis revealed the association of Treg cell increase with the higher tumor-size and lymphnode stage (P < 0.005). These data collectively suggest that patients with laryngeal-SCC may benefit from immunotherapy targeting CTLA4 and Treg cells.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • CTLA-4 Antigen / genetics
  • CTLA-4 Antigen / metabolism*
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / immunology*
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / metabolism
  • Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / pathology
  • Female
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Laryngeal Neoplasms / immunology*
  • Laryngeal Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Laryngeal Neoplasms / pathology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / immunology
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / metabolism
  • T-Lymphocyte Subsets / pathology
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / cytology
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / metabolism

Substances

  • CTLA-4 Antigen
  • CTLA4 protein, human
  • FOXP3 protein, human
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors