Background: Increased numbers of regulatory T cells (Treg) and decreased ratios of CD8+ T cells to Treg have been shown to correlate with decreased survival times (ST) in humans with certain malignancies. A possible connection between Treg and ST in dogs with cancer has not been investigated previously.
Hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to compare numbers of Treg and T lymphocyte subsets in dogs with osteosarcoma (OSA) to those of healthy dogs and to determine whether pretreatment values were associated with disease-free interval or with ST. We hypothesized that Treg numbers would be increased in dogs with cancer and that dogs with a high percentage of Treg would have a poorer prognosis.
Animals: Twelve client-owned dogs with appendicular OSA were entered into a prospective clinical trial. Twenty-two healthy dogs were used as controls.
Methods: The percentages and numbers of Treg and CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in blood, lymph nodes, and tumors were determined with flow cytometry and compared between dogs with OSA and control dogs.
Results: Dogs with OSA had significantly fewer circulating CD8+ T cells and significantly more Treg compared with healthy dogs. The CD8/Treg ratio also was significantly lower in dogs with OSA compared with control dogs. In dogs with OSA, a decreased CD8/Treg ratio was associated with significantly shorter STs.
Conclusions: These data support a role for Treg in the immune control of canine OSA and suggest that determination of the CD8/Treg ratio may be useful for assessing outcomes.
Copyright © 2010 by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.