Expression of Foxp3 in non-small cell lung cancer patients is significantly higher in tumor tissues than in normal tissues, especially in tumors smaller than 30 mm.
Active suppression by CD4+CD25+ T regulatory cells (T regs) plays an important role in the down-regulation of T cell responses to foreign and self-antigens. Thus far, the potential role of T regs in human tumors has been reported. T reg-mediated suppression of antitumor immune responses may partly explain the poor clinical response to vaccine-based immunotherapy for human cancer. The forkhead transcription factor Foxp3 is a critical regulator of T regs development and function. Foxp3 represents a specific marker for the T regs. In this study, we measured the Foxp3 mRNA expression in tumors and in normal tissues from 46 patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), and tumor tissues showed a significantly higher expression of Foxp3 mRNA than normal tissues. The expression of Foxp3 mRNA and the tumor diameter were inversely proportional. These results suggest that T regs expressing Foxp3 selectively accumulate in tumor tissues of NSCLC and contribute to antitumor immune dysfunction, especially in the early stages.
Ishibashi
Yasunori
Y
Department of General Surgical Science and 21st Century COE Program, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8511, Japan. yisibasi@med.gunma-u.ac.jp
Tanaka
Shigebumi
S
Tajima
Kohei
K
Yoshida
Takeshi
T
Kuwano
Hiroyuki
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000378:metabolism
C418974:FOXP3 protein, human; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm