[Measurement of CD4+CD25+ T cells in breast cancer patients and its significance].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the changes of CD(4)(+)CD(25)(+) T cells in peripheral blood from patients with breast cancer.


METHODS
Sixty four patients with breast cancer, 15 patients with benign breast tumors and 9 healthy volunteers were included in this study. The proportion of CD(4)(+)CD(25)(+) T cells population in total T cells was evaluated by flow cytometric analysis. The cytokine production (TGF-beta1) was measured by ELISA.


RESULTS
The population of CD(4)(+)CD(25)(+) T cells in peripheral blood from patients with breast cancer accounted for (5.1 +/- 2.9)% of the total amount of T lymphocytes, and was significantly higher in comparison with that in patients with benign tumors and in healthy volunteers (P < 0.05). The CD(4)(+)CD(25)(+) T cells population in breast cancer patients was positively correlated with the cancer size and with TGF-beta1 level (r = 0.511 and r = 0.253, respectively), and negatively correlated with CD(8)(+)CD(28)(+) T cells and NK cells (r = -0.243 and r = -0.301, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
The CD(4)(+)CD(25)(+) regulatory T cells in peripheral blood of patients with breast cancer is significantly increased in comparison with that in patients with benign breast tumor and in healthy subjects. It may be responsible for immune suppression in breast cancer patients.
Liu
Jun-tian
JT
Department of Breast Oncology, the Affiliated Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300060, China. yjofnk@hotmail.com
Yue
Jie
J
Ren
Xiu-bao
XB
Li
Hui
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002452:Cell Count; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit / Q000276:immunology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics
D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta