Original scientific paper
Augmentation of Regulatory T Cells (CD4+CD25+Foxp3+) Correlates with Tumor Stage in Patients with Colorectal Cancer
Đordano Bačić
Miljenko Uravić
Roberta Bačić
Ivana Šutić
Neno Petrošić
Abstract
Recent evidence suggests that decline of regulatory T cells (Tregs) play a critical role in the prevalence of autoimmune
diseases inhibiting the maintenance of peripheral self tolerance, while its augmentation leads to insufficient antitumor
response, accompanied with poor prognosis in various malignancies. Increased number of Tregs (CD4+CD25+FoxP3+)
were noticed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) and/or regional
lymph nodes lymphocytes (LNLs) of patients with gastrointestinal tumors. The aim of our study was to investigate the
correlation between the percentage of Tregs in peripheral blood of patients with colorectal carcinoma, using flow cytometric
technique and tumor stages, classified as Dukes’ A, B, C or D and by stage of differentiation. Peripheral blood venous
samples were obtained from 92 patients with colorectal cancer and from 30 healthy adult volunteers. Statistical
analysis: Linear regression equations were generated using a least-squares method and analyzed for differences of covariance.
Statistical significance was calculated by Mann Whitney U-test. Our data has shown that 15% patients with
colorectal cancer were classified as Dukes’ A, 41% were Dukes’ B, 35% were Dukes’ C and 9% were Dukes’ D. 54% patients
with CRC were well differentiated, 11% were poorly differentiated, 20 were moderately differentiated, tage, 4%
were mucinous carcinoma and rest of 11% were partly good differentiated with mucinous components. The increased
percentage of Tregs in colorectal cancer patients correlates with tumor stage. These results indicate a possible involvement
of regulatory T cells in disease progression. New strategies using inhibition or depletion of Tregs are necessary to
elucidate the complexity of defective tumor immunity.
Keywords
colorectal cancer; Dukes’ classification; innate immunity; regulatory T cells (Tregs)
Hrčak ID:
72229
URI
Publication date:
25.9.2011.
Visits: 1.185 *