title: Detection of the status of tumour-infiltrating CD4+ T-cell subpopulations in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC) using real-time RT-PCR detection of CD4 mRNA.
abstract: Several studies have reported tumour infiltrating CD4(+) T cells as a favourable prognostic factor in some types of cancer. We investigated 37 head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) at different stages, using immunohistochemical staining for CD4(+) infiltrates and real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) detection of CD4 mRNA. The CD4(+) infiltrates were evaluated and expressed as a percentage according to the ratio of CD4(+) T cells to epithelial cells in the cancer cell nests and to the overall inflammatory cell infiltrate in the tumor stroma. The CD4 mRNA expression level strongly correlated with the CD4(+) infiltration score in the cancer epithelium (r(s) = 0.858, P < 0.001) and in the cancer stroma (r(s) = 0.797, P < 0.001). These results indicate that the real-time RT-PCR assay is a sensitive and reliable method for the detection of CD4 mRNA, and that it could be used to reassess CD4(+) infiltration status in resected specimens from patients with HNSCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Sava
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Smerkolj
authors.forename: Metka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Volavsek
authors.forename: Damjan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Glavac
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016246:Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D015704:CD4 Antigens; D012333:RNA, Messenger