[Gene expression profile of immune cells from patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma of stage T3-4N0].
OBJECTIVE
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) patients commonly have neck regional lymph node metastases. However, patients with NPC of stage T3-4N0 have no lymph node metastases, even the tumors grow over the nasopharyngeal cavities. This study was to explore immune factors related to such a situation by detecting gene expression profile of immune cells from patients with NPC of stage T3-4N0.


METHODS
Peripheral blood lymphocytes were isolated from 28 patients with NPC of stage T1-2N2-3, 28 patients with NPC of stage T3-4N0 before treatment, and 56 healthy donors. mRNA of the isolated lymphocytes was extracted, and reverse-transcribed into cDNA probes labeled with Cy5 or Cy3 fluorescent dyes. The Cy5-cDNA probes of T1-2N2-3 group and T3-4N0 group were separately mixed with Cy3-cDNA probes of healthy group, and hybridized with 480 dots of immune genechips. Genes were considered to be differently expressed in NPC patients if the Cy5/Cy3 was >2.0 (up-regulated), or <0.5 (down-regulated). The genes with Cy5/Cy3 of <0.25 or >4.0 were amplified by real time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with RNA templates of T1-2N2-3 group, and T3-4N0 group, respectively.


RESULTS
Of 157 genes showed different expressions, 106 down-regulated, 51 up-regulated. Real time quantitative RT-PCR revealed that among the 4 genes with Cy5/Cy3 of >4.0, and the 3 genes with Cy5/Cy3 of <0.25, expressions of the genes encoding CD86, CD69, NFKB were higher in sample from T3-4N0 group than in sample from T1-2N2-3 group.


CONCLUSIONS
More genes are down-regulated in immune cells from patients with NPC of stage T1-2N2-3 or T3-4N0 than those from healthy donors. Whether the different expressions of genes encoding CD86, CD69, and NFKB in immune cells of patients with NPC of stage T1-2N2-3 and stage T3-4N0 related to neck regional lymph node metastasis is worthy of further study.
Xiao
Xi-Bin
XB
Research Department, Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510060, P. R. China.
Mai
Hai-Qiang
HQ
Cao
Su-Mei
SM
Zhang
Ying
Y
Sun
Rui
R
Hong
Ming-Huang
MH
D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D051940:B7-2 Antigen / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D000099192:CD69 Antigens
D015703:Antigens, CD; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D051940:B7-2 Antigen; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D016328:NF-kappa B; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D000099192:CD69 Antigens