The increase of CD57+ T cells in the peripheral blood and their impaired immune functions in patients with advanced gastric cancer.
In addition to natural killer (NK) cells, T cells expressing natural killer cell markers, CD56 or CD57 (NK type T cells), have been considered to play an important role in antitumor immunity. We examined the proportion of NK cell and NK type T cell subsets in the peripheral blood from patients with gastric cancer. The IFN-gamma production capacity and population of cytoplasmic perforin positive cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were evaluated. Peripheral blood samples were obtained from 56 patients with gastric cancer and 21 healthy volunteers. The proportion of CD56- CD57+ T cells (CD57+ T cells) was significantly higher in advanced gastric cancer patients than those in healthy volunteers and patients with early stage gastric cancer, whereas no correlation was observed between the proportion of CD56+ T cells or NK cells and tumor progression. Furthermore, a significant decrease of CD8+ CD57+ T cells was found in patients with advanced gastric cancer. The proportion of CD57+ T cells did not correlate with interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) production from PBMC in gastric cancer patients, although a significant correlation was found between them in healthy volunteers. The proportion of perforin positive CD57+ T cells, especially CD8+ CD57+ T cells, in patients with gastric cancer was markedly lower than that in healthy volunteers. Collectively, although the proportion of CD57+ T cells in PBMC was found to increase with tumor progression, their function in antitumor immunity is impaired in patients with gastric cancer.
Chochi
Kentaro
K
Department of Surgery I, National Defense Medical College, Saitama, Japan.
Ichikura
Takashi
T
Majima
Takashi
T
Kawabata
Toshinobu
T
Matsumoto
Atsushi
A
Sugasawa
Hidekazu
H
Kawarabayashi
Nobuaki
N
Takayama
Eiji
E
Hiraide
Hoshio
H
Seki
Shuhji
S
Mochizuki
Hidetaka
H
D000368:Aged; D018959:CD57 Antigens / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D018450:Disease Progression; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D053804:Granzymes; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000378:metabolism; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008875:Middle Aged; D054353:Perforin; D052899:Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000096:biosynthesis; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors
D018959:CD57 Antigens; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D052899:Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins; D054353:Perforin; D007371:Interferon-gamma; C509213:GZMB protein, human; D053804:Granzymes; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases