Advanced Lung Cancer Is Associated with Decreased Expression of Perforin, CD95, CD38 by Circulating CD3+CD8+ T Lymphocytes

  1. Yongkui Zhang2
  1. 1Cell and Molecular Biology Laboratory, Zhoushan Hospital, Zhejiang, P.R. China
  2. 2Department of Cardio-Thoracic surgery, Zhoushan Hospital, Zhejiang, P.R. China
  3. 3Department of Oncology, Cancer Biotherapy Center, Zhejiang Province People’s Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, P.R. China
  1. Address correspondence to Yongkui Zhang, Department of Cardio-Thoracic surgery, Zhoushan Hospital, Zhejiang, No. 739, Dingshen Road, Lincheng Street, Dinghai District, Zhoushan City, Zhejiang, 316000, P.R. China; phone: +86 580 2292865; fax: +86 580 2292865; e-mail: zhoushanzhang1{at}126.com

Abstract

It is known that dysregulation of the immune system is closely related to the development of lung cancer and that CD8+T lymphocytes play a critical role in antitumor immunity. We analyzed the percentage of CD3+CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood, and expressions of the activated molecules, perforin, CD95, CD28, HLA-DR and CD38 in circulating CD3+CD8+ T cells from 68 lung cancer cases with stage I∼II and 61 lung cancer cases with stage III∼IV by flow cytometry. 61 lung cancer cases with stage III∼IV were followed up for more than 6 months and survival time was recorded. The percentages of perforin+ cells, CD95+ cells and CD38+ cells in fresh CD3+CD8+ T lymphocytes of stage III∼IV group were lower than those of stage I∼II group (p=0.021; p=0.043; p=0.036). And an increased percentage of CD3+CD8+perforin+ cells was shown to have a positive effect on the survival time in stage III∼IV lung cancer patients (p=0.043). Advanced lung cancer patients have characteristics of impairment in the cytotoxicity of circulating CD3+CD8+ T lymphocytes and perforin expression in circulating CD3+CD8+ T cells might be used as a prognostic biomarker for the advanced lung cancer.

Keywords
| Table of Contents