Peripheral leukocytes with HLA-DR+/CD8- phenotype are associated with prognosis in patients with lung cancer.
BACKGROUND
We have previously reported that the most significant immunological prognostic factors in patients with lung cancer are the percentages of peripheral HLA-DR+ lymphocytes.


METHODS
We performed two-color flow cytometric analyses using two combinations of double-staining to identify lymphocyte phenotypes HLA-DR/CD4 and HLA-DR/CD8, and examined the correlation between the expression of these subsets and survival in 51 patients with non-small cell lung cancer.


RESULTS
The percentages of HLA-DR+, HLA-DR+/CD4+ (activated helper/inducer T cells) and HLA-DR+/CD8+ (activated cytotoxic/suppressor T cells) did not correlate with survival. However, survival was better when the percentage of HLA-DR+/CD8- was below normal (p = 0.0267). The 4-year survival rate in patients with high and low percentages of peripheral HLA-DR+/CD8- lymphocytes was 26.0% and 53.2%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The subset of HLA-DR+/CD8- lymphocytes powerfully predicts the survival of patients with non-small cell lung cancer.
Nakamura
Haruhiko
H
Department of Surgery, Tokyo Medical University Hospital, 6-7-1 Nishi-shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan 160-0023. hanakamu@tokyo-med.ac.jp
Saji
Hisashi
H
Aute
Idiris
I
Kawasaki
Norihito
N
Hosaka
Makoto
M
Ogata
Akihiko
A
Saijo
Takamoto
T
Kato
Harubumi
H
D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*
D006684:HLA-DR Antigens