Altered lymphocyte populations in tumour invaded nodes of breast cancer patients.
Lymphocytes from matched pairs of tumour-invaded and tumour-free lymph nodes from 22 stage II breast cancer patients have been analysed for expression of phenotypic and activation markers by flow cytometry. Although the relative proportions of T and B lymphocytes were similar in the two nodes, significant differences in the distribution of T cell subsets were observed between nodes that were invaded and those that were not. The CD4/CD8 ratio was markedly depressed in tumour invaded nodes (P < 0.001). This was due to an increase in the number of CD8+ T cells (P < 0.001) and a decrease in the CD4+ T cell population (P = 0.008) in invaded nodes in comparison with tumour-free nodes. The percentage of CD8+ T cells expressing HLA DR (P = 0.023) and IL-2 receptors (Tac) (P = 0.029) was significantly higher in invaded nodes and, while CD4+ T cells expressing HLA DR (P = 0.036) were also in a higher proportion of Tac expressing CD4+ T cells failed to reach significance. Although invaded nodes in a few patients were found to have a higher percentage of IgG-expressing B cells, no significant differences were observed between the two groups of nodes. These results suggest that the presence of metastatic tumour cells in a lymph node is associated with specific alterations in the T cell population.
Department of Biochemistry, University of Glasgow, UK.
S M
SM
Alam
J S
JS
Clark
W D
WD
George
A M
AM
Campbell
D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D002285:Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology
D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2